Kingdom Shinigami
by ElementalL'Cie
Summary: Dragged from his world by darkness, Toshiro Hitsugaya must figure out how to get back home by travelling with the famous Keybearer, Sora, and his cartoon companions. He goes from world to world with the trio to find his way home and finds he's not the only one who was kidnapped from his world...
1. Prologue: Icy Stranger

**Edit: cover by gaaradesert6 on deviantart. Thank you for letting me use it!**

**Another idea of mine that I thought i'd try out and see if it would be popular. This will probably be long since Kingdom Heart is so long, I should practice making my chapters longer maybe...Anyway, hope you enjoy ^^ I don't own Bleach or Kingdom Hearts and things like that.**

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In a sleepy little town in perpetual sunset, four friends bolted towards the small train station. When one lives in a small town, the slightest change tends to stir up excitement. Today was no different as rumors of a new arrival to Twilight Town spread like wildfire among the people.

"Hurry up; we've got to get there before Seifer and his gang!" Shouted a young blonde in camo pants and a green vest open over a black shirt.

"I can't run that fast." A plump, black haired boy groaned as he waddle-ran after them, red jersey drenched in sweat and pants restricting his running more.

"Seifer is going to take his time; we'll make it just fine." A brunette haired girl with bright green eyes, an orange shirt with white flowers and tan capris snapped at the blonde.

"Yeah, but look at Roxas! He's way up there!" The blonde replied, pointing ahead to a young man with spiky blonde hair and deep blue eyes, a white vest with a checker pattern over a black shirt and baggy white pants.

Roxas bolted into the train station ahead of his friends to see the person of everyone's attention. The blonde didn't expect what he saw there and froze in his tracks.

A young looking boy, no older than thirteen at best – and that was pushing it – was still talking to the train cabby. His hair was shockingly white and spiked up a little, bangs falling over the left side of his face just above his eyes, which were the brightest teal Roxas had ever seen. The boy wore a black shirt with a blue dragon printed on the front, a white jacket over top and slim jeans. He was definitely a stranger here.

After getting over his initial surprise, Roxas casually jogged over to the newcomer. A few feet away the boy turned, glancing at Roxas with cold eyes that hid all emotion, giving Roxas the creeps along with the suddenly cold air surrounding the child.

"Um, hi." Roxas greeted. "You're new here, right?"

"Yeah…is it that obvious?" The boy replied as the cabby boarded the train again and the metal beast began to move again. It seemed the newcomer had no belongings of any kind.

"Nah, news just travels fast." Roxas grinned and scratched his head nervously. The boy smiled at him.

"Small town?"

"Yup. Welcome to Twilight Town. I'm Roxas." Roxas held his hand out as his three friends arrived behind him. "This is Hayner," the blonde wearing camo pants, "Pence," the plump black haired boy, "and Olette," the only girl.

After some hesitation the white haired boy took Roxas's offered hand and shook it once.

"My name is Toshiro. Toshiro Hitsugaya."


	2. Twilight Town: Stolen From Home

The explosion knocked him off his feet and into the nearest building, the hard rock scraping against his arms as he slowed himself.

"Dammit." He growled, ruffling debris out of his white hair before gripping the blue hilt of his sword tighter and grabbing onto the chain extending from the bottom with the crescent-shaped blade before twirling it, waiting.

The monster appeared, a wolf-like beast opening its jaws and charging up a large red energy sphere.

"Cero." His teal eyes widened and he quickly threw the chain-blade, watching the chain wrap around the creature's neck and tighten before leaping out of the way of the red beam. He pulled the chain tighter and ice spread rapidly over the beast's body. With a loud cry he launched towards the creature and split its bone-like mask with one swipe of his long blade, his white robe flaring as icy wind blasted outward from the creature as it disintegrated.

Sighing heavily, Toshiro Hitsugaya brought the chain back to him and had it vanish in a flash of icy white light, leaving him with only a sword as tall as he was.

"I don't know why an Adjuchas level Hollow would be here," He muttered to himself, "but at least it's gone now."

He placed the blade in a sheath at his back, held in place by a star-clasped chain, and began walking away from the battlefield where he had slain other Hollow creatures already with the Adjuchas he had just killed being the last of them. Two of his subordinates, members of Squad Ten of which he was Captain, lay dead on the ground and he spared them a sympathetic glance before continuing on.

Something stirred and he paused, listening. He reached out with his icy Sprit Energy to see if perhaps another Hollow had snuck around him but found nothing. Still he kept his guard up as he continued his pace back to the candy shop owned by Kisuke Urahara.

Suddenly his feet felt sluggish, like they wouldn't move, trapped in quicksand. He looked down only to find thick shadows curling around his feet and up his legs, testing his Spirit Energy and attempting to consume it.

'What the Hell is this?' Teal eyes widened as Toshiro found himself trapped in the shadows, unable to escape their grip.

Holding his hand out to perform a spell, the darkness leaped up and caught his waiting hand, pulling him downward into the shadows eagerly to take his power. He cursed as his body descended into the darkness and his consciousness slipped from him, a rage filled roar sounding off in his mind as the spirit within his soul growled at the darkness taking its master.

Now forced into a deep sleep, Toshiro Hitsugaya fell slowly through the darkness that never seemed to end. It swirled around him, eager to see what power it could consume from this icy child. Icy mist seeped off the blade at his back as the spirit within battled against the pressure of darkness, daring it to approach.

In response to the sword spirit's cries, a light infiltrated the darkness, banishing the shadow tendrils and wrapping its warmth around him. Though the sword spirit was still distrusting, it allowed the light to take its master from the shadows and away to a new world.

In the depths of a basement where only the blue light of a computer screen illuminated the darkness, the light appeared to drop off its charge. Two figures already inside the room jumped to attention and watched the white light drop the boy into their sanctuary before vanishing.

"What's going on?" A man in a red robe questioned dangerously, face covered over by red bandages saves for a single golden eye and his mouth.

The other figure, a tall man in a black robe with silver ornamentation around his neck, cautiously approached the white haired being, taking quick notice to the icy air and long sword at the child's back.

"He's been knocked out." The black robed figure stated, kneeling next to the boy and noticing the gashes along his arms. "Poor kid, someone hit him hard."

"Take him from here; we can't have him interfering with Naminé's work." The man in red turned in his seat and glanced once more at the multiple monitors around him.

"Are you sure?" The black robed man questioned, removing the sword from the child's back, though he could have sworn the blade turned colder as he did so. He quickly set it against the wall to be away from it and picked up the white haired child. "Shouldn't we find out how he got here?"

"Hm…I suppose you're right. But we're busy enough as it is." The red robed man sighed.

"Have Roxas find out, then. We can keep watch over both of them as well as interfere if anything goes wrong."

"It could give the enemy another entry point."

"Look, there's no harm in trying." Though the man in red seemed hesitant, the man in black placed the white haired child onto a small platform with a laser above him, casting a cure spell to heal the wounds on his arms. "Send him in as a new arrival in town. With small towns, everyone comes running to find out who they are, Roxas won't be any different in the state he's in."

"Perhaps you're right." His single amber eye glanced at their mystery child before he began typing away on his keyboard.

Light washed over the unsuspecting Toshiro and carried him into a virtual world. The black robed man could have sworn that, for a brief moment, the room got colder as the white haired boy vanished, before it warmed up again and he shrugged it off.

"Let's see who this young man is." The computer man muttered to himself. "He'll wake up on the train arriving at Twilight Town. Roxas and his 'friends' will most likely come running to meet him."

In the virtual world, Toshiro woke with a start as the train bumped to a stop in the station. It was obvious he wasn't back home and he was also in a different set of clothes than his uniform. When had that happened?

'_What's going on?_' His senses were on high alert as he looked around the train car he was on, only spotting the train cabby.

'_**Don't do anything suspicious or use any of your power.**_' A rumbling voice in his head replied. '_**You're being watched.**_'

'_Hyorinmaru? I don't understand, what happened? Why am I on a train?_' Toshiro relaxed his position just as the cabby glanced at him curiously. He trusted his sword spirit.

'_**After the darkness dragged you in something found you and brought you back out. You were taken to what seemed like an underground lab where two men debated on what to do with you. I'm still here in the real world, but they put you in a virtual world where someone called Roxas is going to be used to learn more about you.**_'

'_I see…I accept their challenge. They obviously don't know about zanpaktou since they left you in the same room as them, so I have a distinct advantage._' He heard the spirit rumble in agreement. '_Where am I?_'

'_**They called it Twilight Town.**_'

Teal eyes looked out the train window at the sunset feeling of the town.

'_Fitting…I best find Roxas. By the sound of it he's the only non-virtual part of this town._'

'_**That would be correct. They're keeping watch over him which is why they put you in Twilight Town. This way they can learn about you and keep an eye on this Roxas person.**_'

'_If only they knew who they were dealing with._'

"Sir, this is your stop."

Toshiro was taken from his inner conversation by the train cabby.

"Oh, sorry." Toshiro replied with a slight bow of his head, forcing his voice to sound a little childish to throw off his captors. "Thank you for telling me."

"No problem." The cabby followed the Captain outside. "Hope you enjoy your stay in Twilight Town. It's a wonderful place."

"Thank you, sir." Toshiro forced a smile on his face. If his captors thought he was easily persuaded into things, it would be easy to get information from them without them ever noticing a thing. 'The faster I get out of here the better.'

He heard someone running towards him and turned towards the source, seeing a boy with spiky blonde hair and deep blue eyes. The boy had a lot of Spiritual Pressure from what Toshiro could tell, and he was the only one in this virtual world that did.

"Um, hi." The boy said nervously, panting a bit from his run. Toshiro saw three others attempting to catch up. "You're new here right?"

Toshiro continued the conversation without really paying attention, just trying to seem like someone who belonged in the virtual world without a clue as to why he was there.

'_**They aren't sure what to make of you.**_' Hyorinmaru reported. '_**They think you're either far too gullible to learn anything from or smart enough to play around them. They're going to be cautious now.**_'

'_With a little effort I can make them think the former. When they show themselves I can trap them in easily._'

"Welcome to Twilight Town. I'm Roxas." Toshiro blinked and returned to the real – or virtual in this case – world in time to see Roxas smile and hold his hand out before introducing his three friends that had just arrived.

'_I assumed this was Roxas. Time to see what they find so interesting about him and why I'm here._'

After his inner spirit rumbled, Toshiro reached out and shook the boy's hand.

"My name is Toshiro. Toshiro Hitsugaya."

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**This is what happened from Toshiro's point of view and how he got there. It'll mostly be from his view from now on but there will be an occasional POV from Roxas and eventually Sora as well as other characters, though for them it's even less of a chance they get a POV part ^^ Enjoy!**


	3. Twilight Town: Beach Trip!

Roxas and his companions led their new charge away from the train station, telling him all about Twilight Town. In their eyes the white haired boy was easy to get along with. He didn't seem used to smiling, but he had astounding manners and was always polite. The only time he seemed to get angry was when they tried to call him Shiro for short, saying his real name was too hard, but he was adamant against going by that nickname. When they asked why he went silent and they left it alone.

"So Toshiro, where did you travel from?" Olette asked and Toshiro's big teal eyes turned towards her before they scrunched up in concentration.

"Hm…I don't quite remember. I've been travelling around a lot so I don't remember every place I've been too. I heard Twilight Town was a good place so I thought I'd settle in."

Roxas noticed Toshiro pause and seem to think about something before he shook it off and continued the conversation.

"I forget to bring my things, though. The train cabby seemed confused about that as well."

"Usually he doesn't care." Hayner smirked. "So where are your parents?"

"I don't know…they've been gone a long time." Toshiro's expression saddened, but even that seemed strained. Roxas wondered what this young boy was hiding.

The other three shared a glance and let it drop.

Just then, four figures suddenly appeared in front of them, having arrived from a side alley to cut off their path. Toshiro put on a startled expression while steeling himself for a fight, as the four around him had also stiffened and scowled at the newcomers.

"Since when did you losers get permission to lead around the newbies?" The supposed leader, a blonde with a white trench coat and black hat sneered at them. "As the Captain of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee, it's my job to show around the new kids and teach him the rules."

"Back off, Seifer." Pence snapped back bravely, though Toshiro noticed he was shaking slightly.

"Oh, trying to start something?"

"Seifer will totally own you guys, y'know?" Added on a dark skinned boy in a red shirt and black baggy pants, hair covered in a black beanie.

"Domination." The silver-blue haired girl with a blue shirt and white pants finished.

'_Disciplinary Committee? More like the bully squad._' Toshiro thought to himself.

"We're already showing him around, you've got no right to just show up and take him! That's kidnapping!" Hayner growled, hands balling into fists.

They paused as Toshiro walked past and stood in front of a mildly surprised Seifer.

"They promised to show me around, so I'm going to go with them, okay?" He said in his fake childish tone, slapping on a smile to try and disarm the bully. "Maybe later you can show me anything they missed." '_Dammit I hate acting like this._'

"Uh…yeah, sure." Seifer scratched the back of his head and stepped aside, letting Toshiro pass with Roxas and the others following quickly. After the group turned a corner and vanished, Seifer realized he'd been duped and scowled fiercely. "That kid is trouble, I just know it. He shows up right after the picture thief fiasco and if that isn't suspicious I don't know what is!"

"Thanks Toshiro." Olette said while walking in step with the white haired boy. "Seifer is always trouble."

"I know a bully when I see one." He replied, smiling. "Fighting them just makes them happy, so I learned that being nice confuses them enough to get away."

"That's genius, Toshiro." Pence laughed. "Too bad Hayner wouldn't be able to pull it off!"

"Shut up!"

"Hey, we're planning on heading to the beach later." Roxas turned to Toshiro. "Wanna go?"

'_I hate the beach, too hot._' "Yeah, sure."

"Cool!" Hayner stopped the group. "Okay, a ticket to the beach for all of us is nine hundred munny each, so for all five of us that's four thousand and five hundred munny."

"If we want to get snacks there it'll be three hundred munny each, so fifteen hundred munny." Pence added.

"Isn't the watermelon like two thousand munny a piece?" Roxas questioned and Toshiro found himself perking up at the mention of watermelon. Virtual or not, it still sounded enticing.

"Yeah, this is why we're getting pretzels not watermelon." Hayner replied, though he noticed Toshiro's shoulders slump. "Okay, so altogether that's six thousand munny."

"How do you plan on getting that much?" Toshiro questioned, though he had no idea how much munny was compared to the currency he was used to.

"Oh, odd jobs here and there." The blonde shrugged. "How much do we have already?"

"I've got eight hundred." Pence offered.

"Six hundred and fifty." Olette said.

"I've only got one hundred and fifty." Roxas sighed. Toshiro just shrugged to show that he had nothing.

"So we have sixteen hundred already. That means we need to earn four thousand and four hundred munny."

"Split that between the five of us," Hayner stuck his tongue out as he did the math in his head, face scrunched up in concentration, "we have to earn eight hundred and eighty munny each to have enough for the beach trip!"

"Is that a lot?" Toshiro questioned.

"Like I said, just do some odd jobs and you'll get enough eventually. Let's all meet at the station when we're done. We promise to show you how fun the beach is, Toshiro!" After a big grin in said Captain's direction, Hayner darted off.

"I'm off!" Olette waved to the boys. "Roxas, how about you show Toshiro around and help him with some of the jobs?"

"Got it." Roxas nodded to the brunette as she and Pence went somewhere. He then turned to the white haired boy at his side. "Come on Toshiro, I'll show you where the request board is."

Toshiro silently followed the spiky haired blonde down the sweeping hill where people turned to look at Toshiro strangely before returning to their odd jobs.

'_**They had Roxas take you since his questions would be more authentic than the ones from the computer. They hope he can catch you off guard so you'll slip some information.**_' Hyorinmaru warned his master.

'_They almost had me back at the station when they asked where I came from._' Toshiro replied. '_I'll have to be careful._'

'_**The odd jobs involve some skills, how much are you willing to show them?**_'

'_Not much, I'll play down all my skills to the bare minimum required to get into the academy and I won't use any Kido. I'll even mess up if I have to._'

'_**I'll let you know if they get suspicious.**_'

'_Thank you._'

By now Roxas had led him to a big blue board with several posters on it. He was looking at three of them carefully, debating on what his new friend could do well.

"Let's try this one." Roxas pointed to a poster calling for someone to deliver mail and quickly. "Any good at a skateboard?"

"Er, no." '_What the Hell is a skateboard?_' "But I can run really fast."

"We'll work together then. I'll take the skateboard to get to the ones further away while you run to anybody close by."

Toshiro nodded and they walked towards the person who had put up the poster. The woman's face lit up when they said they were there for the job.

"Thank you so much. Here, Roxas, can you take these to Sally, Ricky and Steve at the station?"

"You got it." Roxas smiled and took the three stacks of mail before grabbing a board with wheels and riding off on it.

"Here young man, these go to George at the sandlot and this is for Vincent who lives nearby at house 647."

"Understood." Toshiro nodded and took the two stacks before darting off. '_I won't use Flash Step, but it shouldn't be too surprising that I can run fast._'

'_**They are slightly surprised, but they noticed the amount of muscle you had before they put you in here and so are not too surprised.**_' Hyorinmaru corrected.

Handing out the letters and returning within three minutes despite the distance, Toshiro didn't break a sweat or slow. Roxas zoomed in on his skateboard just as the white haired boy was given his share of the reward from the lady; one hundred munny. She gave the same to Roxas as he returned.

"You two are so fast." She smiled.

After that they continued on with various jobs together until they'd earned enough munny put together for the trip. Toshiro thought the grandstander challenge would be a good training exercise for his squad, having to keep the ball up in the air, but obviously more challenging for his kind. Here, however, he had to play down his sword skill – though he was using some kind of blue bat called a Struggle bat – to keep his captors from knowing too much. His purposeful slip ups were apparently entertaining enough comedy wise to earn a little extra though he hated every minute of it.

"Come on, let's go meet Hayner at the station." Roxas said, running ahead in that direction with his new friend close behind.

They passed an alley and Toshiro could have sworn he saw a man in black and felt a dark Spiritual Pressure, but he ignored it and kept running. He couldn't give away that he knew him thanks to Hyorinmaru.

The others were already there waiting.

"Finally." Hayner smirked. "So, what have we got?"

Both boys held out their share of the expenses and Olette counted it before slipping it into a small woven bag.

"Wow, all together we have six thousand and five hundred munny." She exclaimed.

"Sweet!" Hayner grinned broadly as did the others while Olette gave the pouch to Roxas.

'_**The black cloaked man is going to take that from him, attempt to catch him then.**_' Hyorinmaru reported and Toshiro tensed, noticing the dark Spiritual Pressure lurking in the shadows. '_**Apparently they won't extend the virtual world past Twilight Town.**_'

'_Right._'

Though frustrated that he basically did all that running around for nothing, Toshiro kept his façade of an eager child awaiting a beach trip and lagged behind the others as they walked towards the station. Hayner said something to Roxas that made the boy pause before he shook his head and continued on.

A stick flew out of nowhere and knocked Roxas over. Toshiro pretended not to notice as the black robed man bent down and jerked Roxas to his feet.

"Can you feel Sora?" The man muttered.

Confused, Roxas didn't notice Toshiro's expression darken as he glared at the man in black. The robed man did, however, and released Roxas to run. The virtual world began to run again as Hayner and the others called for Roxas while Toshiro darted after the robed figure, ignoring the warping around him that tried to hide him.

The chase for an escape began.

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**And so plans for the beach are ruined and Toshiro is attempting to get out. Will he catch the mysterious man?**

**Anyway, I'm really into this story ^^ Don't worry, still working on Gaian Reapers, i'm not planning to drop that one yet, just a little stuck is all. I'll probably read through it again to get my muse working. Enjoy!**


	4. Twilight Town: Forcing Out Answers

The black robed man was quick, Toshiro had to give him that, and the man still in the real world was doing his utmost best to sidetrack Toshiro with fakes and warping backgrounds. But with his skill to sense Spiritual Pressure, following the man was too easy.

'_**Be wary, I don't know what he can do.**_' Hyorinmaru growled to his master.

'_And he doesn't know what I can do._' Toshiro replied, vanishing from where he was only to reappear in front of the robed man using Flash Step.

"Who are you?" He demanded from the man, who had stopped in his tracks.

When he got no reply Toshiro's teal eyes narrowed dangerously, completely catching the man in black off guard. They had been watching the boy all day and he had shown no signs of hostility. He also could have sworn that the area grew colder.

"How did you manage to follow me?" The man asked in a deep voice.

"You made the mistake of underestimating me and sticking me into a virtual world."

"How did you know this was a virtual world?" Though Toshiro couldn't see his face, he could tell by the tone that the man was startled.

"It became rather obvious after the warping effects. Now, who are you?"

"You've definitely got skills, but don't think you can demand anything. We know you've been hiding your true abilities, we're just not sure how much."

"No amount of studying me will get you anything, what I have is not anything a computer can find."

"That's what you think." The man in black crossed his arms. "Just what are you?"

"It's rude to ask for someone's name when they've already asked for yours." Toshiro snapped.

"I'm pretty sure it's rude to ask someone's name before giving your own, and it's not a name I want."

"Well a name is what I want."

The two went into a deadlock stare for a good two minutes before the robed man seemed to crack under Toshiro's ice cold glare and sighed. The tiny Captain waited for an answer.

"Make sure Roxas doesn't get kidnapped and maybe I'll tell you." He said before bright green numbers shot up around him and he vanished from the virtual world.

"Hey!" Toshiro shouted out but he was already gone. "Dammit."

He turned his gaze to the sky, knowing they were still watching him, and glared fiercely before heading back to the station. Since the black robed man had managed to snatch the money pouch from Roxas before darting away when he'd spotted the Captain, Toshiro knew they hadn't left yet and were probably wondering where he was.

"'Keep Roxas from getting kidnapped'? What the Hell does that mean?" Toshiro sighed heavily.

With Twilight Town being so small it was easy to get back to the station. Sure enough the four friends were sitting on the station steps, looking a little down about missing the trip to the beach. Though he hated the idea, Toshiro knew he had to act like a child again.

"There you are!" Hayner shot to his feet. "Well, somehow Roxas lost the money pouch and then you ran off, so we missed the train."

"Sorry." Toshiro bowed his head, returning to his childish façade for now while in their presence. He toned it down a little since his captors now knew it was fake, but suddenly switching attitude would probably be hell on the programming and he wanted to leave the virtual reality not destroy it.

"No big deal." Pence waved his hand indifferently. "Hey, why don't we go up to the clock tower area and eat some sea-salt ice cream?"

"Sea-salt ice cream?" Toshiro blinked in question. '_That does NOT sound appealing at all._'

"What!? You've never had it!?" Hayner looked completely flabbergasted. "It's settled then, I'll get it right now!"

The blonde darted away to get the supposedly awesome dessert while Toshiro mentally cringed at the idea. He hated sweets of any kind and having one that tasted like sea water was not especially enticing either. If it was watermelon he might have given in for one sweet snack, but not for that. Hyorinmaru seemed to agree despite being a dragon made of ice and water.

"I…actually want to check on something." He said to the others and ran off before they could stop him.

Avoiding any virtual human contact, he put himself in a lonely alley and removed his façade once more.

"I know you're watching me so come out. I want to talk to you."

Nothing happened. Toshiro scowled and sighed.

"Fine, but I need a place to stay. In case you've forgotten I'm the 'new kid in town'.

Light flashed to his left and he whipped around to face it, seeing there was now a poster on the wall there with an address. Below it were the words 'free room for hard workers' and the name of the person who owned the apartment.

"Thank you." Toshiro said to the air and took the poster before stepping out of the alley and towards the address.

'_**They found that rather amusing, you know**_.' Hyorinmaru snorted.

'_They'll come out eventually, especially with what I have planned._'

'_**Do tell?**_'

'_They want me to watch over Roxas then they best tell me why. I'm going to avoid him until they do._'

'_**If I recall they keep mentioning an enemy attempting to steal Roxas back. I have no details on where he first came from or how he got in here, but apparently someone is trying to find him.**_'

'_The question is, are these two holding us captive attempting something evil or is the organization he comes from evil?_'

'_**There's no way to tell unless we see the other side.**_'

Toshiro simply sighed aloud in reply and continued on to the address.

True to his word, Toshiro avoided Roxas and his 'friends' the next day. At one point time seemed to stop, meaning only he and Roxas would be able to move. He used Flash Step in Roxas's direction but stayed on the rooftops, noticing a blonde haired girl in a white dress walking away from a startled Roxas before she vanished and reappeared elsewhere, time restarting.

'She's the only other living person here…kind of.' He mused. It hadn't been apparent at first, but after coming into contact with the man in black Toshiro had realized that Roxas, and now this blonde girl, had a lack of Spiritual Pressure that most humans had, but still felt powerful. It was a sort of…empty feeling, as if their power was just a left over. He couldn't figure it out.

He ended up following the blonde girl through a hole in the wall at the main part of town. Through the hole was, surprisingly, a large forest. She continued through it and towards a large building hidden among the trees.

'_**Her name is Naminé.**_' Hyorinmaru reported. '_**Your captors are upset with her coming here but can't kick her out with you following her.**_'

'_Good, I want to speak with her._'

'_**Be cautious.**_'

Toshiro reached a clearing in front of a mansion, a thick iron gate barring his way locked tight with a thick black chain. She stood in front of the gate and seemed about to phase through it.

"Stop." He called out and she jumped, startled, before turning to look at him with eyes as blue as Roxas's.

"You're not Roxas." She said, voice light and a little panicky.

"No." He took a few steps closer so he didn't have to raise his voice. "I'm Toshiro Hitsugaya. The people who put Roxas here put me here too."

"Oh, they didn't tell me about that."

"They don't like me very much."

'_**Despite that they laugh when you say that.**_' Hyorinmaru cut in. Toshiro shushed him.

"Who are you, exactly?" He questioned, as he couldn't say he knew her without giving away his spy in sword form.

"I'm Naminé." She seemed a little more relaxed now and managed a smile. "I'm not really supposed to be here, I just wanted to meet Roxas."

"Why?"

"Well…we're alike." Naminé seemed a little cautious about saying that and her eyes darted a look around.

'_**The man in black is coming to take her back outside this world, whatever you want from her, get it quick.**_' Hyorinmaru warned.

"What do you mean?" Toshiro questioned her.

"Roxas and I…we're not-" She was cut off as a dark portal opened and the man in black stepped in, grabbing onto Naminé's pale arm and pulling her in.

"Wait!" Toshiro darted to the portal and tried to step through but it closed on him before he could. However, the man in black remained.

"How about a trade, Toshiro?" The man said. "You protect Roxas, we give you answers."

"What are you playing at?" Toshiro scowled fiercely at him, his stance tight.

"You're obviously skilled in combat considering the stance you're in; perhaps you could teach some of that to Roxas." The dark portal opened again. "Something's coming for Roxas. Stop them and we'll tell you what's after him."

"You really want to piss me off."

The man vanished in darkness without a reply. When the shadows had vanished, Toshiro noticed a new presence in the virtual realm far from the mansion. Strangely, it was similar to Roxas, but far weaker than the boy.

'_I have to keep Hyorinmaru in that room with my captors, so I guess Kido will have to do._' He mused before using Flash Step away from the mansion and towards the source of conflict, hoping the boy stayed out of trouble until he could get there.

It was at the sandlot, time having stopped, with Seifer and his gang surrounded by slender gray creatures that danced around. They abandoned the virtual humans and headed for Roxas who held only a struggle bat.

"_Way of Destruction Number Four, Pale Lightning!_" He chanted, holding both hands outward towards one of the creatures heading towards Roxas. From his hands shot a beam of bright blue lightning. The creature turned only to be disintegrated by the Kido shot.

"Toshiro?" Roxas dropped his guard as he stared in shock at the white haired child he had always seen as well-mannered if a little quiet. Now the boy looked fierce and Roxas became more afraid of him then the mysterious creatures attacking him.

"Look out!" Toshiro shouted as one of the creatures bent in ways impossible to humans and rocketed itself at the unaware teenager.

Startled, Roxas held his arms up in front of him with a cry, dropping the bat, and Toshiro rushed forward to stop the creature before it hit.

Light blinded him and before he knew it, Roxas and the creatures had vanished.

"What the…?" Toshiro looked around for the blonde, wondering what had happened. Time was still stopped but he was now alone.

Before him a dark portal rose, a light shining in the middle. Toshiro glared at it warily and tried to figure out what it was through its dark Spiritual Pressure. He had no idea where it would lead him or if he would be able to return depending on what lay through it.

Teal eyes widened as he felt Roxas's Spiritual Pressure flare inside the portal for a moment.

'_**They would really appreciate it if you helped Roxas. They don't think he's quite ready yet for what's in there.**_'

'_I'm not going in there._' Toshiro replied and his dragon rumbled in question. '_This feeling is not just the Spiritual Pressure of a person; this is the feeling of their very soul. I go in there I'm essentially trespassing into his Inner World._'

'_**I see. Wait long enough and they may come to you.**_'

And so he waited, trying to keep track of Roxas's progress through the portal but not succeeding well thanks to the swirling pressure of the darkness.

Green numbers appeared to the left of the portal and rose up, revealing a man in red this time instead of the one in black Toshiro kept seeing.

"It appears you won't assist without answers." The man said with a slightly irritated tone.

"Damn right." Toshiro replied with even more irritation.

"Very well, I shall give them to you while Roxas is…indisposed."

* * *

**So after this is when Roxas gets his Keyblade and such. Wouldn't you say his captors get off lucky, considering they're trying to hold in a Captain? Hehe, they'll realize pretty quickly after this that they're messing with the wrong Soul Reaper. Enjoy!**


	5. Twilight Town: Training the Keybearer

Roxas awoke from his strange dream feeling sore and tired. He heard voices above him and looked up, seeing Toshiro there arguing with Seifer.

He remembered the way Toshiro looked before going to the strange dark world and shot to his feet, glancing over the boy once more. The battle stance was gone, the anger vanished. Toshiro looked just as he remembered, if not a little pissed with Seifer at the moment.

"Look kid, I've been suspicious of you since you first got here." Seifer growled. "I bet those guys in white jumpsuits were after you!"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Toshiro replied, expression confused. However, after seeing the furious look from before, Roxas couldn't believe it himself.

"I'm gonna be watching you, midget." Seifer snapped one last time and walked away, wondering why it suddenly got so cold.

After the gang left, Roxas saw Toshiro's childish looks fade and his eyes turned hard once more.

"Who…who are you?" Roxas questioned, feeling a little nervous.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya. That hasn't changed." He replied, tone icy.

"B-but before, you seemed so…"

"Innocent? I meant it to be that way. I'm a cautious person, Roxas; I needed to know if I could trust you."

"So…you trust me now?" Roxas still felt nervous around the small child, but now that he was being told the truth it began to lessen.

"In a manner of speaking. I might not tell you everything, but I'm willing to drop my façade when it's just the two of us. Your friends…I don't quite trust them." Toshiro sighed and began walking away, noticing Hayner and the others approaching. He wanted to get this over with.

As expected, Roxas followed. The two of them left just as Hayner, Pence and Olette arrived at the sandlot, not seeing anyone.

"Why not?" Roxas questioned.

"They seem to be oblivious to what's going on here." Toshiro worded his reply carefully.

"Wait…are you noticing it too? The weird guys in jumpsuits and the time stops?" Roxas seemed excited.

"Yes, and I noticed yesterday that you do as well. We seem to be in the same situation here."

He led Roxas to an open area hidden by surrounding houses in the central market area. The man in red from before, who gave his name as Diz, promised that no virtual human would be able to get into the area while the two of them were there. He looked back briefly on the conversation.

"_I am Diz." The man began. "I've been watching over Roxas for a few days now."_

"_Why?" Toshiro questioned, eyes narrowed._

"_He's a very important piece in our quest." Diz answered. "You see, there is an organization roaming about that is growing stronger and threatening the balance of the worlds. They are attempting unlock a great power known as Kingdom Hearts."_

"_Kingdom Hearts?"_

"_In brief, It will allow the organization to have untold power. The organization is known as Organization XIII and is made up of the same creatures as Roxas."_

"_What is Roxas, then?" Toshiro briefly glanced at the dark portal._

"_He is a Nobody, a shell left behind by a boy named Sora when he became a Heartless. Heartless are manifestations of the darkness in one's heart when they die. The Nobody is what's left behind."_

'Sort of like Hollows._' The Captain mused. '_Only Hollows don't leave behind anything._' "Why does the organization need Roxas?"_

"_Sora holds power over a weapon known as a Keyblade, which is instrumental in unlocking Kingdom Hearts. Being Sora's Nobody, Roxas also possesses the Keyblade and is therefore very important to the organization."_

"_Clear enough. What is your reason for taking Roxas?"_

_Diz cleared his throat slightly._

"_Under some rather unique circumstances, Sora was able to revert to his former self after being turned into a Heartless. As a result, Roxas did not obtain Sora's memory and is not complete. However, Sora lost his memories when the Organization trapped him in Castle Oblivion and slowly replaced his memories with false ones. To renew Sora's old memories we need Roxas to catch those scattered memories and return to Sora, who is currently in a deep sleep so that his memories can be recovered."_

"_So Roxas is the key to wake up Sora?" Toshiro, despite everything he still wanted to ask, surprisingly understood things well enough to keep up. The Heartless were similar enough to Hollows he wasn't as confused as most._

"_Yes. Now, as for you…"_

"_I'm not at liberty to explain who or what I am." Toshiro interrupted quickly. "But…perhaps I can make an exception considering I need help getting home."_

"_Sora and his friends, Donald and Goofy, commonly travel worlds. Perhaps they will stumble upon your own as they do so."_

"_That so? Then I guess I should help you with Roxas."_

"_Which brings me to a question of mine." Diz smirked slightly as Toshiro raised an eyebrow in question. "The Organization is going to continue sending lesser Nobodies, such as the ones who appeared minutes ago, to capture Roxas. Having lost his memories as well when Sora entered Castle Oblivion he has forgotten how to fight effectively. You seem to have a fair bit of battle experience."_

"_More than you know." Toshiro sighed and Diz chuckled slightly. "I'm guessing you want me to train him?"_

"_It would be appreciated. What Roxas learns here will transfer to Sora, the muscle memories anyway. However he must not know anything of what I have told you."_

"_Fine, I see no problem with it." Toshiro shrugged before hardening his gaze. "I would, however, like my sword returned to me." _'I don't need Hyorinmaru to spy anymore._'_

"_I'm sure I can manage that."_

Diz told him to bring Roxas to the area before he would return Hyorinmaru to him. Though he didn't like the wait, he knew he didn't have much of an option considering helping Roxas was the only way out.

"Um, Toshiro…what are we doing here?" Roxas asked, looking around.

The blonde jumped as the light of the green numbers appeared, revealing a sword as tall as Toshiro with a star shaped hilt and blue clothed handle, the sheath attached by a silver chain with a star clasp. Startling Roxas further, Toshiro grabbed the blade and swung it onto his back with a practiced motion before turning back to Roxas. He would never show it but having Hyorinmaru in his hands again made him extremely happy.

"I'm going to train you." Toshiro replied, his tone saying he wouldn't take no for an answer. "To fight those creatures."

"T-Train me? How can you train me? That sword is bigger than you are! It-"

Roxas silenced as the blade was suddenly pointed at his throat.

'_I didn't even see him move._' Roxas thought in panic.

"I suggest you don't underestimate me." Toshiro said. "I can kill you easily. But, I won't."

The sword went down to Toshiro's side and Roxas allowed himself a breath.

"Now, I saw a strange weapon in your hand earlier when those creatures showed up. Summon it again."

"I don't know how, it just…shows up." Roxas replied.

"Then I'll make it appear." Toshiro lifted his blade and struck.

Shocked, Roxas lifted his hand to block. Having used the strange weapon not that long ago he was reflexively trying to use it to block. Realizing he didn't have it he made to attempt a duck under the sword when it appeared in his hands once more to protect him. The force behind Toshiro's swing pushed Roxas back a good distance and the blonde knew he would have been dead had the weapon not appeared. It also made him panic because Toshiro was clearly fine with inflicting fatal wounds.

Now that the Keyblade had appeared, Toshiro took a closer look at it. It really did look like a giant key with the shaft and teeth being bright silver, the latter shaped like a crown, the handle golden with a bar in the middle to hold onto. A silver chain dangled off the end of the handle with a keychain attached, shaped like a big circle with two smaller ones on top.

'_**I've never felt such a power.**_' Hyorinmaru rumbled, having gotten a taste of the Keyblade's energy when they struck.

'_It's going to be different from a zanpaktou, be ready._'

"You-You tried to kill me!" Roxas shouted accusingly.

"Yet you're not dead." Toshiro replied. "I was sure that blade would appear. Now stand, I'm going to teach you the basics of sword fighting."

"This isn't a sword, though."

"It's meant to be used as one, I can tell. Whatever it is you need to know how to use it properly. I can help with that."

Roxas seemed nervous about the lessons and looked back at the Keyblade, wondering how he was supposed to use it. There were no sharp edges so it couldn't really cut through things, but Toshiro seemed to think it was meant to be used like a sword, which definitely cut things. It sure had a strange feeling to it and it worked against the creatures from before. He glanced at Toshiro, who couldn't be taller than four and a half feet or so, not to mention no older than thirteen. Yet he seemed to be an expert warrior, shown by the strength behind his earlier strike and the way he stood with sword in hand.

"Okay, fine. Teach me how to fight." Roxas took his own stance, something he always found himself reverting to when preparing for a battle. It felt natural, as though he'd always used it.

"Be ready, I won't go easy on you." Toshiro replied and held his sword up to fight.

Nodding, Roxas tensed for the blow. Toshiro darted forward and Roxas could barely pull the Keyblade up fast enough to block it before the small child moved and struck again with the blunt back side of his sword, knocking Roxas down.

'_This is gonna be hard._' Roxas thought to himself as Toshiro helped him up and gave him a few pointers.

'_Training him won't be easy._' Toshiro mused as he watched Roxas take in his advice eagerly before taking stance one more. Hyorinmaru rumbled in agreement.

* * *

**And training Roxas begins! Toshiro still has to play act a little since Roxas doesn't know everyone but the two of them are fake, but alone he can stop pretending...sort of. Enjoy!**


	6. Twilight Town: Struggle Tournament

Roxas woke the next day terribly sore and turned himself over to get a little more sleep. He'd had more dreams about the kid named Sora and he'd finally heard Kairi's name. He'd been wondering who the strange red-haired girl was.

"Get up." A voice snapped and Roxas shot up, turning to the window.

The window was open and he distinctly remembered closing them. What's more, Toshiro was sitting on the sill, leaning against the frame and watching him with that same icy glare, sword nowhere to be seen.

"Oh come on, let me get some sleep." Roxas groaned and lie back down, putting the pillow over his head.

Toshiro promptly snatched the pillow and tossed it off the bed.

"Hayner asked me to remind you about the Struggle Tournament today in case you forgot."

For the second time that morning Roxas shot up, this time leaping off his bed.

"Damn, I can't believe I forgot about that! I promised Hayner we'd go for the Finals!" Roxas growled to himself as he rushed about getting dressed.

"I'll leave you to it." Toshiro sighed. "I'll be in the tournament too to make sure you don't slack, see you there."

"Ya, see ya!" Roxas replied, not really paying attention. "Wait…you're participating?"

Turning to the window, Roxas realized the white haired child had already left. Shrugging, he went back to getting dressed before running out the door and towards the sandlot.

Toshiro went the faster route across the rooftops before moving down into an alley and stepping into the sandlot. Most of the virtual townspeople were there as well as the many fighters signing up for the matches. Apparently kids his 'age' couldn't enter, but Diz was fine with allowing him in by letting the people know he was older than he looked, just short. He was also going to move the match so Roxas could fight against him. Training continued no matter what the circumstance, Toshiro was clear with Diz on that.

As the tournament began and the number of fighters moving on dwindled, Toshiro kept his distance from Hayner and the others, including Roxas. Since Roxas didn't know that everyone was a fake, Toshiro's reasoning for keeping his distance was he didn't want people to be suspicious about them hanging out all the time.

The fighting was easy, even if he was using a Struggle bat instead of a sword, and he ended up surprising a lot of people. Roxas knew that he was actually toning it down but didn't say anything. He'd gotten enough bruises to know how hard the small child hit. Eventually, it was narrowed down to four. Hayner stomped off after getting beaten by Hitsugaya, the latter moving on to the Semi-Finals with Roxas, Seifer and Vivi. Apparently Vivi's rise to the finalists was unnatural, making Roxas wonder what kind of training Vivi did. Toshiro, however, knew something was up with Vivi since the tournament had started.

'_One of those Nobodies has hacked Vivi's player._' Toshiro mused while watching the short character in a blue jacket with a tall yellow hat that shadowed everything but his glowing yellow eyes. '_Perhaps I should get Diz to let me fight him._'

'_**Do you want to train Roxas or get rid of the Nobody?**_' Hyorinmaru asked.

'_If Vivi beats Seifer I'll probably do both._'

'_**Weren't you going to let Roxas win, even if by a tiny point?**_'

'_I guess Roxas could use the experience. Let's see how things turn out._'

"For the next match!" The announcer shouted and Toshiro turned his gaze away from Vivi. "The newest person in Twilight Town and surprising powerhouse, Toshiro!"

"I thought I told Diz to use my last name." Toshiro growled to himself as he stepped onto the platform that now stood in the Sandlot.

"Versus my absolute favorite customer, Roxas!"

The blonde jumped at that, not having expected to fight against Toshiro. Walking up the steps to stand in front of Toshiro, Roxas gulped and took the Struggle bat from the referee, the same nervousness he'd felt last night showing through again. During their training he'd barely managed to defend against the white haired child, let alone get a hit. Toshiro would get all the points in no time.

"Consider this an actual battle." Toshiro said in a low voice once the referee had backed away. "Don't see a bat in my hands but my sword, remember what I showed you."

"Easier said than done." Roxas grumbled back, taking a stance. Toshiro remained in a relaxed standing position, only serving to make Roxas even more nervous.

"All right, go!" The announcer's voice echoed to start the match.

Toshiro darted forward, a move Roxas remembered from the other night. He also remembered what Toshiro told him to do to counter it. As Toshiro swung down, Roxas took a step forward and blocked, pushing away Toshiro's bat and using the momentum to swing around and catch his opponent in the back. Ten points moved from Toshiro to Roxas.

That was until Toshiro swung low and took his points back with a hit to Roxas's side. The child dodged Roxas's next strike and used the opening to make a jab at his chest, taking twenty points. Now Toshiro was in the lead.

"Had that been my blade you'd be dead." Toshiro warned. "Your attack on my back was non-fatal, while both of mine could have killed you instantly. Try harder!"

"Shut up, I'm trying!" Roxas growled, taking stance once more. "You move too fast!"

'_I'm not even using Flash Step._' Toshiro sighed.

The clock ticked downward all the while as Roxas attempted to outmatch the battle experienced Captain. He found most of the reactions to some of Toshiro's actions came by reflex now, allowing him to work his way back to the lead before Toshiro pulled something new on him, telling him he needed to adapt, and went ahead again. It was down to the last ten seconds and Toshiro was rapidly deciding whether or not to let Roxas have the final strike, thus allowing him the win, or strike him down and fight Vivi. He had no doubt the Nobody would defeat Seifer.

In the end he decided Roxas's skill was good enough to fight off the weak Nobody and struck out with an obvious blow, one Roxas had memorized. The blonde ducked around it and jabbed the Captain in the stomach, knocking him down. Toshiro had used that on Roxas often enough with the hilt of Hyorinmaru that the Nobody could do it himself.

The clock rang its end and Roxas came out the winner by ten measly points. The close call made those who knew Roxas break out in loud cheers. If they had been actual people they might have noticed how Roxas was to the point of passing out while Toshiro hadn't even broken a sweat. Training in the Soul Society was far more rigorous.

"Seems you've improved." Toshiro told the blonde, holding his hand out to shake it.

Roxas grinned and took it, suddenly feeling much better. What the Nobody didn't see was the green light passing between their hands as Toshiro used a discreet Healing Kido burst to give Roxas some of his energy back. He would need it to fight the Nobody in Vivi.

As the next match started, Toshiro stepped off to the side away from the others. He kept a close eye on Vivi as he faced Seifer. The clock started and Vivi leaped first, showing surprising speed against Seifer. The tall man had trouble blocking the quick strikes that obviously packed a punch considering how he seemed to be straining against them. Then, Seifer managed a hit, allowing him a few points.

"This is it!" Seifer called out as he leaped towards Vivi.

The tiny creature moved too quickly and in the next instant, Seifer was out with a good amount of points passing to Vivi. The fact that Seifer couldn't fight anymore meant Vivi won automatically.

But Toshiro saw what others didn't. The Nobody had moved out of Vivi for a brief instant and landed an alarmingly rough blow that caused the blonde to knock out.

"Roxas should have experience with fast opponents now, but still…" Toshiro let his thoughts trail off as Seifer was helped off the platform – turns out he was just dazed – and Vivi stayed on the platform, staring Roxas down.

'_**Considering he only had one night of training and yet managed to remember most of what you told him, he's better off than most.**_' Hyorinmaru assured his master.

"And now the match you've been waiting for!" The announcer said as Roxas stepped back onto the platform. "Roxas versus Vivi!"

'_Let's hope one night of training is enough for Roxas._' Toshiro watched both combatants carefully as the match began.

* * *

**Sorry, short chapter, my bad. I wanted to save the fight with the Nobodies for after that (there's actually more to it but for those who haven't played it I won't spoil it.) Anyway, enjoy!**


	7. Twilight Town: Organization's Flame

Like with Seifer, Vivi struck first. The small being made a feint to the legs that nearly got Roxas had Toshiro not tried something similar before and instead lifted the bat up to block Vivi's real strike to his shoulder. The blonde countered and knocked Vivi back, earning a few points. It continued like this, with Vivi making his quick strikes and Roxas waiting patiently to counter them, earning him a few points each time. But he was already wearing down, that much Toshiro could tell as the blonde began to sweat profusely and pant quite a bit.

The time warp came and Toshiro tensed, stepping closer to the platform. The Nobody would surely make its appearance now that it had Roxas trapped by himself. Well, almost by himself.

'_If this gets bad I'll have to grab Hyorinmaru._'

Roxas looked around, realizing everyone but Toshiro and Vivi was frozen in place, closed off from them. He turned back to Vivi as the small creature lit up in a bright white light and began to grow. Once it reached the size of a person the glow went away and revealed the white bodied Nobodies. What's more, three others appeared and surrounded Roxas.

'_Not good, I didn't expect more of them._' Toshiro growled and vanished with Flash Step to grab his zanpaktou.

Panicking slightly, Roxas turned to where Toshiro stood only to find the boy gone. Had they taken him away? He looked frantically for a way to escape his enemies but they were closing in on him with their strange hypnotic movements.

Light enveloped his hand and the Struggle bat was replaced with the giant key he'd used while training with Toshiro. With the strange weapon in his hand Roxas stamped out his panic and took his stance, fully prepared to fight off the mysterious creatures.

A few blocks away, Toshiro snatched his zanpaktou from his temporary room and leaped back out the window, racing towards the sandlot. Two of the four Nobodies were already dead but he felt another presence approaching, a stronger one.

"Get your act together, Diz, they're slipping through." He grumbled under his breath, putting Hyorinmaru onto his back before drawing the blade out.

With one more Flash Step he rushed into the sandlot just as Roxas took down another one, the last of them coming up behind to strike him while he was distracted. Toshiro took care of that quickly with a fell strike of his blade, the Nobody disintegrating into blue light the way Hollows did when killed instead of the white and black that appeared when felled by the Keyblade. He needed to look into that later in case that was dangerous.

"Is that all of them?" Roxas said between pants, still worn out from the battle with 'Vivi'.

"All of the small ones." Toshiro replied, turning towards the newest arrival just as the thin man in black started clapping. At the sound, Roxas whipped around to face him.

"Roxas. All right. Fight fight fight." The man's voice sounded cocky and Toshiro's eyes narrowed. At least he wasn't Diz's companion. "And you too, little guy."

"I'll slice you to pieces." Toshiro growled, eyebrow twitching at being called short. This seemed to make the man in black laugh.

"Who are you?" Roxas demanded, stepping up next to Toshiro.

"You really don't remember?" The man stepped a little closer. "It's me, Axel."

The hood came off, revealing a pale skinned man with crimson hair that spiked wildly to the back and bright green eyes, small black triangle marks underneath. When the hood came off Toshiro got a better feel of the man's Spiritual Pressure and scowled as he realized this Nobody had a fiery power. Fire and ice don't mix; he gripped Hyorinmaru tightly.

"I don't know you." Roxas replied to Axel's introduction.

"Talk about blank with a capitol B." Axel sighed. "Man oh man, even the Dusks aren't gonna crack this one."

He held his hands out to the sides and fire lit up in a bright circle, summoning crimson chakrams with silver spikes into his hands. The heat increased in the area and on reflex Toshiro let his Spiritual Pressure rise, cooling the area back off. Axel frowned and darted a glance to either side of him as if looking for something.

"Wait a sec!" Roxas held his Keyblade up. "Tell me what's going on!"

"By the looks of it he's here to kidnap you." Toshiro replied, readying Hyorinmaru.

"Bingo." Axel smirked. "This town is his creation, right? Which means we don't have time for Q and A."

He hardened his glance at Roxas and both boys tightened their stance.

"You're coming with me, Roxas, conscious or not. Then you'll hear the story." Axel spun the chakrams in his hand and smirked. "As for your friend I'll have to take him out."

"Good luck trying." Roxas muttered and Toshiro smirked ever so slightly.

The area around them warped and Axel straightened up, scowling at the glitches.

'_Hurry up, Diz._' Toshiro growled mentally and leaped at Axel while his guard was down.

"Whoa!" Axel was much quicker than Roxas as he blocked the icy blade and countered with his second chakram, knocking the ice Captain back with fire. "Watch it now, that sword is sharp, ya know?"

"That's why I'm using it." Toshiro snapped back.

"Wait!" Roxas called out to Toshiro before turning a glare on Axel. "What's going on?!"

"Number Thirteen; Roxas." Axel replied and the blonde looked at him strangely. "The Keyblade's chosen one."

"Okay fine!" Roxas held the Keyblade up. "You asked for it."

"_Way of Destruction Number Thirty-One,_" Toshiro chanted under his breath, "_Red Fire Cannon!_"

Fire shot from Toshiro's palm and towards Axel. The Nobody's eyes widened and he held his chakrams up in defense as the Kido shot hit him. Though it pushed him back a good distance, the fire did hardly any damage itself.

'_At least I cleared that up; whatever type of power they have they are immune to it. For him, that's fire._' Toshiro mused and lifted his hand for a different Kido shot.

"I don't know what that was but it's useless!" Axel snapped. "And I'm not going to let you try again!" He lit up a chakram and threw it.

"_Way of Destruction Number Four, Pale Lightning!_" Toshiro used the blue lightning once more and knocked the chakram out of the air and a few feet away, only for it to reappear in Axel's hand.

"Quit that!" Axel growled.

The Nobody switched his attention to Roxas as the blonde struck at his side with the Keyblade. He prepared to throw Roxas off with his second chakram, the first holding back Roxas's Keyblade, when Toshiro darted forward and stabbed Hyorinmaru through one of the opening in the weapon and pulling it downward, leaving Axel trapped.

"Damn you." Axel snarled.

"Not done yet." Toshiro replied and released some of his Spiritual Pressure into Hyorinmaru. The temperature dropped and ice seeped from the blade onto the chakrams, rapidly freezing it to the ground and Axel with it.

Axel seemed startled at first at the rapid flow of ice before grinning and kicking Roxas away from him.

"Burn!" He shouted and Toshiro pulled away just in time as fire erupted on the chakrams and broke through the ice in an instant. "Ha, you've got a long way to go before you can beat me with ice, kid!"

"You've got a lot to learn if you think I'm done." Toshiro snapped back, twirling a silver chain in his hand with a sharp crescent shaped blade at the end.

"Hey…where did that come from?" Axel frowned, noticing the chain was attached to the end of the long blade in Toshiro's hand when he didn't remember there being a chain before.

Instead of replying, Toshiro tossed the chain forward and Axel threw a chakram to intercept. The crescent blade hit it midair before curling around it and freezing it solid, Toshiro pulling it over to him. With it being covered in Toshiro's ice, Axel couldn't summon it back, something the Nobody realized quickly and scowled at.

"My turn!" Roxas shouted out as he rushed at Axel from behind, Keyblade striking for the tall man's chest.

The strike was blocked with a chakram and pushed aside, Axel then lighting himself on fire and countering with the flaming chakram. Roxas blocked but was pushed back. With the blonde backed off, Axel lifted his hand and summoned a sphere of fire.

"Move, Roxas!" Toshiro darted over with Flash Step and grabbed onto Roxas before rushing them both over to the edge.

In that split second, Toshiro's hand brushed over the Keyblade and the Captain felt some of his Spirit Energy get sucked into the weapon. He let go of it immediately and took a step away in shock while Axel spun around to go for another attack. All three of them paused as the Keyblade glowed brightly with icy blue-white light that Toshiro recognized as the light of his own Spiritual Pressure.

"What's happening?" Roxas's voice came out panicked.

When the glow dimmed the Keyblade had changed shape. The shaft was now icy blue with spikes on the back that led up to the teeth end, which was shaped like a dragon's head, mouth open with ivory teeth and crimson eyes. The handle was just like the hilt of Hyorinmaru with icy wings around it, the keychain resembling a smaller version of the chain on Toshiro's blade, crescent-blade included.

'_His Keyblade…it took on Hyorinmaru's powers!_' Toshiro realized, eyes widening.

"Tch, so you got a new Keyblade form." Axel scowled. "But it looks like it's an ice based, which means it will be easy to win this!"

Just then the area warped again, bringing with it this time Diz. The man in red glared fiercely at Axel while Roxas looked at Diz with a confused expression.

"So it was you." Axel growled, spinning his chakram, the other still laying frozen and useless further away, and lighting it aflame before tossing it towards Diz.

Toshiro caught that one with the chain-blade too and pulled it towards him, catching it and tossing it back with ice still attached. The Fire Nobody scowled dangerously at the Captain while melting off the ice.

"Roxas, this man speaks nonsense." Diz turned to the blonde. "Stay with Hitsugaya."

"Ya kidding?" Axel snarled. "Don't let him deceive you, Roxas!"

"You're both liars." Toshiro snapped and lifted Hyorinmaru above him. "Leave!" He cut through the air and a wave of icy water rushed towards both figures before freezing over in an instant. Axel had used a dark portal to escape seconds before and Diz was truly just a bunch of data, the real one safe in the real world. It was the only reason Toshiro was willing to attack them both and he saw it as a good opportunity to earn Roxas's full trust.

The virtual world warped once more, Roxas looking around in panic, and Toshiro darted back over to his previous position after breaking the ice as time restarted.

The cheers subsided as reality registered for the observers with Roxas standing on the platform, Struggle Bat in hand, and Vivi out in a daze on the platform.

"What…What just happened?" The announcer's voice echoed in a confused tone. Toshiro and Roxas shared a glance, the former silently warning Roxas not to say a word.

Vivi stood and looked around in a daze before wobbling his way off the platform, wondering how the Hell he'd gotten from his room to the sandlot stage in the blink of an eye. Rushing past the confused creature was Hayner, Pence and Olette.

"Roxas!" Olette called out excitedly. "You did it!"

"Er, yeah." Roxas replied, putting on a fake smile to try and appease his friends. He still didn't quite know what to make of the event but he was willing to follow Toshiro's lead and act like nothing had happened.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Roxas! Our new top Struggler!"

* * *

**Whoo! New Keyblade power! He'll figure out what happened later on as he starts putting things together (along with another conversation with Diz) so don't worry. Hope the fight with Axel was okay. Enjoy!**


	8. Twilight Town: Questions, No Answers

With the immediate danger out of the way, Toshiro left the sandlot and headed towards the station. There he moved to the railing around the edge where the land steeped into a hill and turned to the sunset. It didn't quite feel like home, but he supposed it would suffice to calm his nerves. He was trying to piece together the new information he had.

From what he could tell, his zanpaktou still seemed to purge the Nobodies the same way it purged Hollows, shown by the way they vanished in blue spirit particles. The Keyblade also purged them but it seemed to do so in a different manner. Was it different enough to be a danger to the balance of worlds? He hoped not and would have to investigate later.

As for Axel, the Organization XIII member, he was somewhat of a mystery. He obviously used fire, which meant if Toshiro ever ran into him again he'd have to avoid getting hit. His ice-type zanpaktou gave him a lower body temperature, allowing him to survive his own power, which meant he was sensitive to heat. Going up against his opposite, fire, always ended badly for him. The mysterious part was why he seemed so intent on getting Roxas back. If it was just a job, he surely wouldn't have put himself at so much risk to do so and just wait for a better time. That would have been the smart thing to do.

And then there was the Keyblade's form change. Toshiro held his hand out in front of him. All Soul Reapers had a Spiritual Pressure vent of sorts in their wrists and the Keyblade seemed to have drawn some of his Spirit Energy through that vent before using it to transform into a Keyblade form of Hyorinmaru. He didn't know how that had happened or what kind of change that would cause within him, other than a short drop in his Spirit Energy, but he was cautious about trying it again. He also wondered if the Keyblade could then use Hyorinmaru's powers as well.

So many questions and absolutely no answers. If he'd been back at the Soul Society he could have had the Department of Research and Development look into everything for him. For now, though, he was on his own.

"Are you wondering about what happened to the Keyblade?" A voice said.

Toshiro glanced briefly at the virtual Diz as it walked over to stand beside him.

"It took some of my power and changed form, of course I'm curious." Toshiro replied as he returned his gaze to the horizon.

"Your power? After looking into it I found the Keyblade's power became centered around ice and water, is that your power?"

"It is. I can give you some information on what that power is but not much."

"I'm listening."

Sighing, Toshiro unsheathed Hyorinmaru from his back and held it loosely in front of him.

"This is no ordinary blade." He began. "It's called a zanpaktou. All of the people from my world have one, some more powerful than others. My blade is called Hyorinmaru and, as I said, centers around ice and water. It is the most powerful ice-type zanpaktou in my world."

"I see. You did use water against both that Nobody and I earlier."

"Since you didn't put your real form in here I felt it was acceptable." Toshiro shrugged. "Besides, Roxas will trust me better."

"Very true." Diz chuckled. "Is there a reason it was shaped like a dragon?"

"Yes. Zanpaktous have spirits of their own that are directly connected to their masters. My spirit, Hyorinmaru, takes the form of a giant dragon made of ice and water. Roxas's Keyblade took on Hyorinmaru's shape and I could tell it had his power as well."

"Interesting." Diz mused. "When I looked into it, however, it only held that form for a minute."

"I was only touching the blade for a brief second when I felt it stealing my power." Toshiro replied, sheathing his zanpaktou. "It seems it can only use my power for a short time before it runs out of the energy it took from me."

"Well, Hitsugaya, allow me to say I'm glad you're on our side."

"I'm not on your side; I just want to go back to my world." The Captain quickly corrected before walking away.

Diz stared after the white haired child for a moment, contemplating those words.

"If you want a better view of the sunset," He called out and teal eyes turned to glance at him, "I suggest the top of the clock tower. Roxas and his friends enjoy that view."

The virtual Diz vanished. Toshiro, deciding he didn't have anything better to do, decided to check out the clock tower.

Outside, the man in black turned to Diz.

"Have you figured out what he is?" He asked.

"No, but I feel I'm getting closer." Diz replied. "He has remarkable fighting talent, remarkable enough to raise Roxas's own fighting level. I actually had to make his fight with Setzer harder in order to present a challenge thanks to Hitsugaya's training."

"That's good, right?"

"It's splendid. When Roxas returns to Sora those skills will pass on and Sora will already be stronger despite his long sleep."

"Anything else on Hitsugaya?"

"Yes…see if you can find anything to do with zanpaktous in the databases. That word sounds familiar…"

Back inside the virtual Twilight Town, Toshiro sat on the ledge at the top of the clock tower, indeed liking the view there better than on the ground.

'_This is a perfect place to meditate._' Toshiro mused while unsheathing Hyorinmaru and placing him on his lap.

With practiced quickness, Toshiro closed his eyes only to open them to the icy landscape of his Inner World. It was dark with a shining full moon above, the ground beneath him hard with frost. A sharp wind began to stir and Toshiro's eyes turned upward towards the moon as a giant figure dived down from the heavens to land in front of his master.

"Hyorinmaru." Toshiro greeted the icy-blue dragon of ice and water, wings outspread in a magnificent posture.

"**Toshiro.**" Hyorinmaru responded, crimson eyes locking with teal as he leaned his head down towards the white haired Captain. "**Are you worried about what happened with the Keyblade?**"

"It didn't do anything to you, did it?"

"**No, I am untouched.**" The dragon responded, folding in his wings and curling his serpentine body around his master. "**The only thing the Keyblade took was some of you Spirit Energy. Seeing as I was born from your Spirit Energy, it's only natural the Keyblade would become similar when using it. It didn't become me, it copied me.**"

"So it won't have a spirit?" Toshiro questioned.

"**I doubt it. It can seemingly take on my powers, but its will remains its own, not mine. I felt no connection to it and I'm sure you didn't either.**" Hyorinmaru rumbled.

"No, I didn't. If it has no side effects on us…perhaps I can try it out again, see if it really can copy our powers."

"**From what Diz says it can't hold my form for long.**"

"I consider that a good thing. I don't need him running around with my powers, that can cause far too much trouble. I do wonder if it can use Bankai as well."

"**That we would have to test.**"

"Roxas probably doesn't have time for that, but I can try it with Sora when he wakes up." Toshiro paused as he heard voices. "It seems I've been found."

He closed his eyes again and the icy world vanished around him, leading him out of his consciousness where he could pick out the voices of Hayner and the others.

"Whoa, he's got a sword." Hayner exclaimed.

"I didn't take him as the fighting type." Pence added.

"Come on guys, you saw how he did in the tournament." Roxas butted in. "He's definitely strong."

"No kidding, he put me down without even trying!" Hayner growled. "He's oblivious, I'll get him up."

"Hayner, wait!" Olette panicked.

Toshiro sensed a fist coming his way and reacted swiftly, catching the offending hand before lifting Hyorinmaru and pointing it at Hayner's throat. The boy yelped and backed away quickly, not able to go very far with Toshiro's iron grip on his hand.

"I suggest you don't ever do that again." Toshiro glared, releasing the virtual teenager and sheathing Hyorinmaru and setting it next to him.

"You're scary, dude." Hayner replied with a scowl.

"I would hope so." Toshiro sighed. "I'll be leaving now."

"Oh, you don't have to." Olette said.

"I want to."

On that note he left the tower, heading out of the station and back towards his earlier place by the rails. He had noticed Roxas with the Struggle trophy in hand and decided he'd let him have his celebration with 'friends' instead of ruining the mood. His Lieutenant often complained about how he was no fun at parties.

He instinctively tensed as he sensed Roxas's Spirit Energy flux in panic, whipping around to see the blonde falling from the top of the tower.

'_That klutz._' Toshiro sighed and used Flash Step towards the falling child, landing on a platform of Spirit Energy and easily catching him. However, he seemed to be out cold already. "Now what's happening?"

"Sora's memories." A voice replied from below.

Toshiro Flash Stepped to the ground in front of the man in black, setting Roxas down before facing him.

"Sora's memories?" Toshiro asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. He gets like that when memories are reconnecting him to Sora."

"I see. If you were here to save him I've already done that."

"I'm here for one more thing." The man in black stepped over to Roxas and fished something out of the blonde's pocket; a shining blue crystal that Toshiro remembered seeing on the trophy.

"What could you possibly want with that?" Toshiro questioned.

"Roxas can't keep anything from this virtual world. We can't have him becoming bound to this Twilight Town."

The man in black stood and began walking away.

"If you could, please take him back to his room. He'll think this was all a dream."

"How about you give me a name first?"

The man paused and turned to look at Toshiro, catching the ice cold gaze of the Soul Reaper and shivering slightly from a cold wind.

"Ansem."

For a brief moment, Toshiro thought he had said 'Aizen' and the cold intensified, before the real name registered and he calmed down.

"Alright, Ansem." Toshiro nodded to him and picked up Roxas. "It was nice to meet you."

They both vanished, one by way of a dark portal and another with Flash Step, Roxas over his shoulder.

* * *

**So mystery of the ice Keyblade solved...kind of. Expect to see more of it later ;) And now we know the man in black's name, too. Getting closer to Sora's appearance, just gotta get Roxas to the mansion. Then the real adventure begins! I know it's kind of slow paced but so was the game. Enjoy!**


	9. Twilight Town: Seven Wonders

Toshiro once again avoided Roxas for most of the day. He'd spoken to him in the morning and realized that he and his virtual 'friends' were working on a project, so until he'd finished he was going to skip out on training. Though slightly disappointed, as he'd wanted to test out his power on the Keyblade, Toshiro let it go and went his own way.

He returned to the top of the clock tower to meditate and speak with Hyorinmaru for a while. He didn't trust Diz enough to train in Bankai while inside the virtual world so he did it mentally by sparring with Hyorinmaru. He'd finally made it a true Bankai thanks to eighteen months of training after the defeat of Aizen, but he knew he could still use practice with it and Hyorinmaru was happy to oblige. He couldn't let his skills dull while trapped in this virtual reality.

When he decided enough was enough he wandered around town for a while, remembering Roxas and his 'friends' had gone to the terrace. He hadn't been to that part of town and decided to check it out while he had free time. Perhaps he'd even see what the group was doing and help out. Being a prodigy, he was sure he could help get their homework over with quickly and train Roxas some more. The faster way there was the train, but he wanted to check out the underground paths. He'd been told it was a good practice area and with help from Diz he could seal it off and keep up with practice as well as train Roxas.

The minute he stepped inside he sensed the presence of one of the lesser Nobodies and frowned. How had it escaped his notice for so long? It seemed to have hacked a player again. He rushed through the tunnels towards the source, the paths being pretty straightforward and he fortunately didn't get lost in the brightly lit tunnels.

When he reached the area where the Nobody was he found the way there blocked by a metal gate.

"Seriously?" He sighed and looked for anything that would open it. There was a lever.

He pulled it quickly and ducked under the gate as it opened, coming face to face with Vivi's hacked player.

"What's their fascination with this character?" Toshiro mused aloud while unsheathing Hyorinmaru and stepping towards the hacked player.

About a foot away, two more Vivi players appeared, surrounding him. He looked between them, noticing that they were simply data copies. That was until the Nobody switched from one Vivi to another.

"You can move between them?" Toshiro's eyes widened slightly, turning to one Vivi only to have the Nobody shift to another. "Damn. I guess I'll just have to take you all at once for good measure."

One of the Vivi players jumped at him and he struck it down only for another to pop up in its place. They laughed evilly while Toshiro kept a passive face, putting the tip of his blade to the floor and dragging it around him in a circle. It spread outward away from him and the three virtual players were frozen in an instant, the Nobody with it. Now that it couldn't move around, Toshiro quickly cut through the player it had hacked and watched it vanish into blue spirit particles. The copies vanished in a swirl of data.

"You need to level up your security, Diz." Toshiro said aloud before sheathing Hyorinmaru, hearing footsteps approaching him from the terrace direction.

It was Roxas and Pence, both surprised to see him.

"You were down here Toshiro?" Pence asked.

"Yes. I was practicing." Toshiro replied with a nod, glad the ice had already broken up and dispersed before they stepped inside.

"That explains one of the Seven Wonders." Pence turned to a skeptical Roxas. "It's just people practicing down here."

"Seven Wonders?" Toshiro approached the two.

"We're looking into the mysteries of Twilight Town for our independent studies homework." Roxas explained. "One of them was a strange moaning coming from the tunnels so we came down here."

"Sorry to disappoint you."

"No worries, they've all been silly things so far anyway." Pence waved off Toshiro's apology.

"Perhaps I can help?" Toshiro offered.

"That'd be great! I know you don't really have to do it since you're new here but the help is appreciated."

The Captain nodded, simultaneously searching for any other Nobodies in the area. He felt faint traces of them around and thought perhaps they had something to do with the Seven Wonders.

"Which ones have you done already?" Toshiro asked.

"Well there are the steps that count differently going up and down." Roxas answered, counting on his fingers. "But that was just Rai counting wrong; he's that guy that says 'ya know' all the time. And then there was one where a ball flies out of nowhere from the alley and I could have sworn they were coming right out of the wall."

"But it's just people playing around and throwing a ball, Roxas." Pence countered. "Next is a doppelganger of people down near the water."

'_Nobodies could make a perfect doppelganger of people._' Toshiro mused, and then turned to Pence. "I'll do that one. "

"Okay." Pence smiled. "Roxas can do the moving bag on Sunset Hill, then."

"Oh boy." Roxas sighed and shook his head with a laugh, Pence joining in.

Leaving quickly, Toshiro headed towards the area Pence had said the doppelganger was. If he had known the Nobodies would be getting involved he would have gone with them from the start. So far, the only one not to involve a Nobody was the stairway. That one was just an idiot trying to count.

He reached the small square with the small waterfall, fenced off with short white railing. He sensed a dark Spiritual Pressure coming from it and approached the waterfall, seeing a perfect reflection of himself. He still wasn't used to the clothes Diz had put on him while in the town and preferred his Soul Reaper uniform and haori, but knew it would only make him stand out more.

His reflection smirked at him before stepping out of the waterfall and right through him, sending a cold and dark feeling through the Captain, and stopping in the middle of the square. After shaking off the dreaded feeling, Toshiro whipped around and unsheathed Hyorinmaru, watching as his doppelganger became encased in shadows and turned completely black, a black version of Hyorinmaru in its hands.

'_What all can it copy from me?_' Toshiro mused, taking stance, his doppelganger following suit.

Both figures darted forward, clashing before Toshiro pulled back and struck at the shadow's side. It blocked and countered with a stab for his chest, which he avoided, grabbing onto the hilt of the black Hyorinmaru and using the real Hyorinmaru to strike at the head. It ducked underneath and pulled its blade away from him, staggering a foot or two away.

"You have no skill." Toshiro frowned at it. He brought the chain-blade out and spun it.

The shadow made to do the same but Toshiro had already thrown his forward and trapped it in the chain, the crescent-blade digging harshly into its side.

"Vanish." Toshiro said to it before the ice encased the shadow and he tugged on the chain, breaking the shadow to pieces. The Nobody playing as Doppelganger vanished quickly.

That done, Toshiro removed the chain-blade and sheathed Hyorinmaru, walking towards the area of Sunset Hill where Roxas was going. He would tell Roxas the truth later, but for now he would say the doppelganger was just a mirror reflection due to the waterfall.

As he was walking up the path to Sunset Hill he took his sword out once more, sensing the approach of the last Nobody as Roxas and Pence remained on the hill, unaware. The creature didn't even see him coming until the icy blade cut it apart, the blade quickly returning to its sheath. Toshiro continued on like nothing had happened, joining the two boys.

"Well?" Pence questioned eagerly.

"Just a reflection in the water." He replied.

"Thought so. The moving bag was just a trapped dog. Roxas let it out."

"That last wonder wasn't exactly wonderful." Roxas sighed.

"I know what you mean, say no more." Pence grinned broadly. "But this next one's gonna be great. Wonder number Six!"

Hayner and Olette rushed over to them as they spoke, panting for breath and looking excited.

"We got a lead." Hayner said between breaths. "The Ghost Train Mystery!"

"Everyone knows about Wonder number Six." Pence shrugged off the blonde.

"I didn't." Toshiro and Hayner replied together, the latter being a little more aggressive about it.

"Settle down, guys." Olette giggled. "It'll come under Sunset Hill in just a few minutes. All we have to do is wait for it."

"I'll pass for now." Toshiro said and turned to walk away. "I'd be glad to help with the report, let me know if the train comes."

"Okay." Roxas called back, waving goodbye to the Captain.

Toshiro walked back to the station to take the train back to the clock tower instead of going back through the tunnels this time. Since he had to wait it gave him time to think about how the Nobodies kept getting past Diz's security. Maybe his presence was causing glitches in the system, he had stopped pretending to be nice to the virtual people unless Roxas was close by, and even then he'd dropped it to the bare minimum of manners needed here.

He heard the train come in and turned, seeing not the orange and yellow of Twilight Town trains but a bright purple train with blue and yellow starred across, a blue wizard's hat on top.

"What the…?" He blinked, hoping the strange colored train would go away.

It didn't.

Confused now, Toshiro got up and went closer to examine it, sensing Roxas coming as well, no doubt with Hayner and the others. Had they seen it? Was this the Ghost Train they'd mentioned?

"Can you see it, Toshiro?" He heard Roxas ask and turned to look at the blonde. He had to decide quickly whether or not to let Roxas be believed or make it out as fake just like the others. Well, he had planned on telling Roxas later. He shook his head.

"See what?" He asked innocently.

"What?" Roxas looked taken aback and confused before he put on a determined glare. "I'll check it out."

Before he could step onto the train, however, Hayner grabbed onto him.

"You'll get hurt." He said as Roxas jerked away and gave him a look that read 'why would you do that?'

"The train is coming in." Toshiro added on. As he looked back the strange train was gone, the normal Twilight Town train heading in for the stop.

"But…it was just there." Roxas pleaded. "I saw it, it came from the beach. Right?" The others looked worriedly between them, Toshiro remaining silent and getting onto the train before them. "Right?" He turned to Olette and she knitted her brows in worry.

Hayner scowled, growling a little, and pushed the spiked blonde onto the train where they sat next to Toshiro, the white haired child saying nothing and seeming to be asleep already. The ride was silent.

They exited at the station and the four started heading back to the usual spot, Toshiro trailing behind to try and catch Roxas on his own.

"Let's just go home and finish the paper." Hayner grumbled. "'The rumors were bogus, the end.'"

"We can still make it sound good if we write about all the work we did." Olette offered.

"What about the seventh wonder?" Roxas piped up.

"Who cares?" Hayner growled back at him.

"I do. C'mon Pence."

"Tch, whatever." Hayner, obviously upset, stomped away quickly to get away from his friend. Olette sighed and ran after him to try and calm him down.

Pence looked between Roxas and the two leaving, even glancing once at Toshiro standing behind Roxas, before sighing heavily.

"It's at that haunted mansion." He said and turned to follow Olette and Hayner.

Toshiro thought this was the perfect opportunity, quickly following after Roxas as he went towards the mansion in the woods. He wanted to wait until they were in the forest, though, because even if they were virtual, any potential eavesdroppers could mess up the system and create more openings for the Nobodies.

"Guess it's just you and me." Roxas sighed as they made their way through town.

"I'm rather curious about these Seven Wonders." Toshiro shrugged in reply. "They seem to have someone interfering with the system."

Roxas glanced at his white haired friend.

"So you noticed it too, huh?" He whispered.

"I did, but here is not the place to talk about it."

Silence reined once more with only their footsteps against pavement any indication of movement between them. Once they finally made it into the quiet woods, Toshiro stopped, causing Roxas to pause as well.

"I did see the train." He started.

"You did?! Why didn't you tell me?" Roxas asked accusingly.

"Because your friends couldn't. Don't you think something is a little weird about this town? How come only we can see these things?"

"I dunno…maybe something to do with the Keyblade?"

"I don't have a Keyblade."

"Well…your sword isn't exactly normal; it made that big wave of ice that other day with Axel. And that chain-blade that appeared out of nowhere."

"I know my blade is different but it's hardly a Keyblade. Whatever's going on these creatures seemed to be focused on you, and I just happen to have the ability to see everything as well."

Roxas chewed on that thought for a moment, wondering what could be going on. Toshiro knew he wasn't allowed to let Roxas know about the virtual world yet nor about where Axel was from, but he wasn't about to leave the boy completely unprepared.

"Come on, let's check out the mansion." Toshiro brought Roxas out of his thoughts and made his way towards the haunted house. "We'll think about this later while training."

"Wait, we're still training?" Roxas blinked.

"Obviously. You're always training, be prepared for anything."

"Like you attacking me out of nowhere?" Roxas teased.

"Possibly."

He gulped.

* * *

**Didn't really want to focus on the Seven Wonders, it was one of the more boring parts of the beginning. But, since Nobodies were involved, Toshiro had to do something. So now we're going to the mansion, which will be a little different from the game version ;) Enjoy!**


	10. Twilight Town: Captain Strength

Toshiro stepped up to the heavily locked gate, sensing Naminé inside the large building. What was she doing here?

"You know something." Pence's voice reached their ears and Roxas jumped in surprise, Toshiro tensing at the sudden noise. He hated not being able to sense the virtual characters. "We were gonna check out the mansion tomorrow. It IS the most suspicious place."

"What is this place?" Toshiro questioned.

"Dunno, but it's been here, unoccupied, for years." Pence shrugged and stepped up beside Roxas, Toshiro staying at the gate and trying to pinpoint Naminé. "Seifer's gang was gonna help check it out."

"Seifer?" Roxas looked startled by this.

"Hayner asked him to." Pence smirked at Roxas's incredulous face.

"So…what are we looking for?"

"They say there's a girl at the second floor window, even though no one lives here."

Toshiro turned his gaze quickly to the window with white curtains, finally spotting Naminé. Her focus was on Roxas and her eyes seemed glazed over. Perhaps he could use a quick Kido spell on the lock to get inside and speak with her. It would help to get more real information from the Nobody instead of Diz's recent roundabout answers.

"Roxas?" Pence's voice caught Toshiro's attention and he turned to glance at them.

The boy's eyes were also glazed over, staring up at Naminé's figure. The Captain glanced between the two blonde haired Nobodies. Was this some kind of telepathy that Naminé was using? He didn't know she could do that, Diz never answered questions about who she was, only that she was the key to getting Sora's memories back together.

"What's going on, he won't answer?" Pence started to panic a little, turning back to Toshiro.

He was gone.

"Toshiro? Toshiro!" now Pence was panicked. Was the mansion truly haunted? He turned back to Roxas. "Roxas, wake up!"

"Huh?" Roxas looked at his friend, confused. Though it had been a short time, he felt like he'd been talking to Naminé for a while. "Oh, I saw the-"

"Toshiro's missing."

The white haired Captain had used the brief moment of distraction to leap over the gate and use Flash Step to get inside quickly. Now that he was in he started towards the stairs at the far end, wanting to speak with Naminé. There didn't seem to be any Nobodies around but he kept his guard up, hand resting on Hyorinmaru's hilt to draw at the slightest sign of a white body.

He moved up the stairs and to the left, heading for the room with the white curtains. Though still cautious, he was beginning to think there weren't any Nobodies in the mansion.

He froze as Diz appeared before him.

"What do you plan on finding in here, Hitsugaya?" Diz asked innocently.

"You know full well what I want." Toshiro replied. "Step aside."

"I'm sorry, I can't do that."

"Why? What is Naminé?"

Diz narrowed his visible eyes dangerously at the white haired Captain.

"I can trap you in this world forever if you step out of line." Diz warned.

"I assure you I can find my own way out."

"I doubt you can, considering it's easy to block off all exits to the real world."

Now Toshiro narrowed his eyes dangerously, Spiritual Pressure rising and causing the large central room to drop to freezing levels. Diz being virtual, however, he felt nothing. But he did see the results on his screen and widened his eyes in surprise. Toshiro had let his power rise before but not like this. It was already surpassing what he'd recorded from his battle with Axel. Just a little higher and he'd break the system, causing both he and Roxas to be ejected from the virtual world.

He considered Toshiro's warning taken and removed his virtual player from in front of Hitsugaya. But, Ansem had already taken Naminé from the virtual world, leaving Toshiro with no one to speak with.

Sensing that Naminé was no longer in the room, Toshiro growled and began to head back out of the mansion. No point in heading towards an empty room.

In the real world, Diz turned to Ansem.

"Please tell me you found something."

"Yes." Ansem replied and pulled up a data file. It showed a figure in black, similar to the outfit Toshiro had been wearing when he'd first arrived, a sword strapped at the waist. "He's one of them."

"That can't be right; he was wearing something else over that when he arrived." Diz scanned through the data quickly, taking in all the information. When he spotted what he was looking for his eyes widened considerably. "Impossible…He's a…"

Ansem, having also been reading, paled considerably as he realized just what they were dealing with.

"Is it possible to access their records?" Ansem questioned.

"I don't know but I'm sure going to try." Diz replied, typing away rapidly on his keyboard. "I need to see just what kind of power Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya has."

Said Captain had returned to his temporary room after checking with the others to calm their panic. He didn't expect anyone to worry so much about his disappearance.

There was a knock on his door.

"Just a moment, Roxas." Toshiro replied and grabbed Hyorinmaru from his place on the wall before stepping outside. "Come on, I think training in the underground passageways would be a better idea."

"But Vivi trains there." Roxas countered.

"Not today, I heard he's out with the others at Sunset Hill."

"Oh…"

To be honest, Roxas was looking forward to the training. Toshiro had told him the plan of bringing out the ice Keyblade once more, though he didn't give details about why it did that when Hitsugaya touched it, and wanted to see what kind of powers he could use. If only he could find out how to keep the Keyblade that way. Apparently it only stayed like that for a little while.

They reached the open area where Vivi usually trained and Toshiro ordered Roxas to summon the Keyblade. Once done, Toshiro placed his hand on the blade. Roxas's eyes widened as the Keyblade absorbed icy-white energy from Toshiro's body into itself.

After waiting about five seconds Toshiro let go and the Keyblade reverted to the ice dragon from.

"Wow." Roxas breathed, examining the icy blade closely. The dragon's teeth looked far sharper than the crown of the original Keyblade and would definitely be good for cutting. "So, why does it do that?"

"It's copying my blade." Toshiro replied, unsheathing Hyorinmaru. "Remember, I was able to create ice and water with this blade, the Keyblade is giving that power a form." '_No need to tell him about Hyorinmaru._'

'_**Will you tell Sora?**_' Hyorinmaru questioned.

'_That depends._'

"And you can teach me how to use it, right?" Roxas looked excited before seeming to remember something and returning to a calm expression. He was remembering what Naminé had told him, that he was only half of Sora and that he needed to give everything back. He didn't want to. No, he wouldn't. He would use what Toshiro taught him to remain his own person.

"That depends." Toshiro shrugged to Roxas's question. "It may have the same abilities or it may not, only one way to find out."

"How?"

"What I'm about to show you stays between us. It is also why I wanted to use the underground." Toshiro held his blade out in front of him.

"Surely you don't intend to use that power here, Captain." A voice said and both boys whipped around to see Diz, Toshiro wondering when Diz had been told of his rank. "You'll ruin this world with that."

Though Roxas looked confused and angry, Toshiro understood the hidden meaning; releasing Hyorinmaru would cause the virtual world to shatter. He didn't know if that would trap him in data or eject him from the system, but either way he couldn't do it.

Still, he wasn't on friendly terms with the man yet and spun the summoned chain-blade in his hands before tossing it at Diz, only for the man to vanish. The message was sent and Toshiro had understood, there was no need for him to stay.

"Do you think he meant what he said?" Roxas turned to Toshiro, the icy Keyblade still in hand. "Will Twilight Town be ruined?"

"It's possible." Toshiro mused aloud. "There's more to my blade than the wave of ice-water you saw before, it's likely it could cause some damage."

"Oh…" The blonde looked at the Keyblade in his hand, wondering if it was just as powerful. "Well, can you teach me how to use it without using your blade?"

There was a moment of silence as Toshiro thought about that. Never had he needed to teach anyone his own abilities; they were unique to him and couldn't be taught to others. Plus, Roxas couldn't simply dive into his Inner World and speak to Hyorinmaru since the Keyblade wasn't the ice dragon, so it couldn't be learned that way.

"I can try." Toshiro nodded.

With some adjustments to the kind of training he himself had gone through, Toshiro managed to teach Roxas how to shoot an ice dragon from the tip of the Keyblade, though Roxas's dragons were lighter in color, almost white. He also taught Roxas how to quickly remove the ice so the area could be cleared and no one would find giant spikes of ice in the underground, people like Vivi coming to train.

Toshiro cut the training short, eager to speak with Diz. He'd never told the man of his rank as Captain or of what he was, yet Diz seemed to know it. He wanted to know how much he knew and how he knew it. He lagged behind Roxas before finding a secluded area and staying put after the boy left the area. There, he waited, knowing either Diz or Ansem would eventually reveal themselves.

Sure enough, Diz's virtual form appeared before him.

"How do you know I'm a Captain?" Toshiro demanded immediately, teal eyes narrowing.

"Rather direct, aren't we Soul Reaper?" Diz replied, emphasizing the last two words. "I found some old files on your kind in the databases after hearing about your zanpaktou. The word seemed familiar and it was, as I've run into a Soul Reaper or two before."

"The Soul Society has no records of other worlds." Toshiro countered.

"Of course not, they sealed themselves and their connecting realms off from the rest of the worlds centuries ago. The Soul Reapers I met had been off world when they closed the paths and were trapped. They eventually became Keybearers."

Toshiro's eyes widened considerably.

"You're saying that the Keyblade was originally a zanpaktou?" His voice held obvious disbelief.

"More like the Keyblade first chose Soul Reapers as their masters, merging with the zanpaktou. There's a whole story behind it, one I don't have memorized. However, to be blunt, Keyblades and zanpaktous have very similar purposes, the difference being that Keyblades also have the ability to open any lock, including one's heart. Not the anatomical one, the heart where emotions and memories are stored."

"If the first Keyblades were formed after the Soul Society cut itself off, therefore trapping Soul Reapers outside the realms, then how come you met Soul Reapers? You can't be that old."

"My goodness, no." Diz chuckled slightly and Toshiro scowled. "You're not the first Soul Reaper to be dragged out of your realm by the darkness, and most likely won't be the last. You see, your world tends to weaken its shield occasionally when the balance of spirits fluctuates, causing a temporary rift that allows the darkness to enter. Once the barrier stabilizes it dies off, but it tends to take a Soul Reaper or two with it."

"So I can't go home?" Toshiro felt his heart sink slightly at this but hid it expertly.

"There might be a way to temporarily open the barrier using the Keyblade." Diz replied. "I don't have any knowledge of how to do that, however, so I unfortunately cannot help you.

"Now, back to our earlier topic of how I knew what you were. Once I realized you were a Soul Reaper I did a bit more digging through the information we do have on you. The fact that you were wearing a white haori means you are a Captain, one of the thirteen strongest people in the Soul Society."

"Correct." Toshiro nodded.

"The number on your back marked you as the Squad Ten Captain, and I happened to meet a member of your squad, though when I heard anything about you from him he said you were a third seat."

"I used to be, I was appointed Captain only a few decades ago when the former Captain vanished."

"I see. He barely mentioned you, but I do recall him saying how powerful your Hyorinmaru was, and that you were a prodigy."

"They call me a prodigy, yes. And as I said, Hyorinmaru is the strongest ice and water type zanpaktou in the Soul Society."

"And if possible, I would like if you used that power to put a stop to Organization XIII."

"I only want to go home."

The two figures stared each other down, Diz feeling rather overwhelmed now that he knew this 'child' was probably three times his own age, and he was starting to feel the weariness of his age, and far more powerful than he could imagine.

"I'll think about it." Toshiro finally replied.

"Thank you, Captain." Diz bowed respectfully to hopefully ease the Captain's dislike towards him before removing his character and relaxing in the real world, glad that was over with. One wrong move and Toshiro might have decided to break the virtual world.

Toshiro sighed; the faster he could leave this world the better.

* * *

**So Diz figures out just who he's dealing with and Toshiro learns that Keyblades and zanpaktous aren't so different...and that there's possibly another Soul Reaper running around the worlds. *insert creepy music***

**That aside, Roxas is learning how to use the icy Keyblade (name comes later with Sora). Wonder how this will go. Enjoy!**


	11. Twilight Town: Truth and Lies

The minute Toshiro woke the next morning he knew something was wrong. He was close to where Roxas lived and as such could sense the boy's Spiritual Pressure. It felt more whole than ever, even if it had been steadily going that way since he met Roxas. But that wasn't what told Toshiro that something was wrong, terribly wrong. The virtual world seemed off somehow, distorted in his eyes.

"It's time for Roxas to return to Sora." Diz's voice echoed in his temporary room. "Lead him to the mansion; the Nobodies are breaking through into the virtual world."

"Gotta leave me all the hard work." Toshiro sighed and grabbed Hyorinmaru, noticing his Soul Reaper clothes folded neatly beside his bed.

"Thought you might want to fight comfortably." Diz chuckled before there was a small beep and the echo faded.

After changing into the familiar black uniform and haori, throwing the scarf back around his neck, Toshiro used Flash step towards where Roxas was. He was at the usual spot where he and his 'friends' hung out, but as Hayner, Pence, and Olette ran out, Roxas not with them, he realized that Roxas's days in their group was over. When the blonde came out, Toshiro saw the pain in his eyes at being ignored by his friends and frowned, softening his expression in sympathy. No one deserved to be used like that, even a Nobody. Not one like Roxas, anyway.

"Roxas, we need to get moving." Toshiro said, snapping Roxas out of his depression. "Those creatures are everywhere."

"What?" The expression on the blonde's face quickly shifted from sadness to anger; no doubt he was blaming them for his sudden disappearance from the minds of his 'friends'.

As if to prove the white haired Captain right, several Nobodies sprung up from their portals and blocked off the exits to the alleyway. Roxas summoned his Keyblade just as Toshiro drew Hyorinmaru and they stood back to back with one another.

To make matters worse, Axel arrived, scratching the back of his head with a look of disappointment.

"Look at what it's come too." Axel sighed heavily. "I have these icky orders to destroy you if you refuse to come back with me."

Toshiro was about to reply but instead turned his attention to the Nobodies as they danced slowly closer, Roxas focused on the red-head.

"We're…best friends, right?" Roxas said cautiously and his companion sent him an odd glance.

"Sure but I'm not getting turned into a Dusk for…" Axel registered what Roxas said. "Wait, you remember now?"

At the excited look on his face, Toshiro realized that what Roxas said must have been true. But then, where did he hear it from? What prompted him to say that to Axel? He watched carefully as Roxas nodded, also keeping an eye on the approaching Nobodies.

"Great!" Axel had the Nobodies pause with a slight flick of his hand. "But, uh, gotta make sure and all…hm…what's our boss's name?"

Apparently that wasn't a memory Roxas had back yet as he stared blankly at the red-head before lifting up his Keyblade. The hopeful look on Axel's face vanished.

"Can't believe this." Axel said sadly, then motioned for the Nobodies to attack.

"Sorry Diz." Toshiro muttered under his breath, then lifted his blade up. "Reign over the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru!"

The temperature around them dropped to freezing, the blade in Toshiro's hand growing a little longer, the chain-blade appearing, and a much larger dragon than Roxas's white one of freezing water circled around them, killing off the Nobodies before heading for Axel and hardening into ice. The Fire Nobody lit himself aflame to counter the freezing beast, barely managing to stop the creature without injury and panting already from the effort.

"I'll hold him, get to the mansion." Toshiro snapped at Roxas, grabbing onto the Keyblade for a few seconds before letting him go.

Roxas nodded once the Keyblade changed shape and raced away, trusting Toshiro's judgment. The white haired child was definitely strong enough to handle Axel. As he ran, he thought he saw buildings or even people, frozen in time, glitch occasionally. That wasn't normal; people didn't just glitch in and out of existence. Then again, ever since the pictures were stolen, the town had not acted like a normal town. Today was the proof.

"I'm sorry I can't get your friend back." Toshiro said to the panting Axel.

"Tch, he's not the Roxas I remember anyway." He snapped back. "He's changed."

"I can at least promise you it had nothing to do with me."

"Yeah but you helped. Do you even know what's going on?"

"I know enough to keep you from taking Roxas back to Organization XIII. To be honest, I'm not interested in this Kingdom Hearts quest, I simply want to return to my world."

"Then stay out of the way!"

"Roxas is my key to the way home, therefore I can't let you take him."

The red-head scowled and prepared to strike back. Toshiro tensed, waiting for the strike, but it didn't come. Axel had been frozen.

"Your power is overheating the system." Came Diz's voice. "Seal it and catch up to Roxas. The town cannot break before he reunites with Sora."

Toshiro sealed Hyorinmaru as told before racing away from the area towards where Roxas was battling his way through Nobodies using the icy Keyblade. Various spikes of ice could be seen in spots along the path to the mansion.

He met up with Roxas in the forest, using Hyorinmaru to cut down a Nobody behind the blonde as it attempted to ambush him.

"Is he gone?" Roxas asked, meaning Axel.

"No, time was frozen. Seems we have some outside help." Toshiro replied.

"That man in red?"

"Most probably. Come on, let's get to the mansion. There shouldn't be any creatures there."

Upon reaching the mansion they realized they had a problem; the gate was still locked tight.

"The Keyblade." Toshiro said just as several Nobodies appeared to attack.

While Roxas undid the lock, Toshiro darted forward and took out one of the Dusks, wrapping another in the chain and encasing it in ice before breaking it with a tug, cutting down a third straight afterword. But it seemed for every Nobody he killed, another appeared in its place, and now there were Nobodies with long arms, spikes running down the ends. These kinds could move through the ground like water, slashing at him from below while they remained safe from Hyorinmaru's blade. He had to use the chain-blade to latch onto an arm and forcefully pull them from the ground before he could freeze or cut them.

A black-robed figure leaped into the fray with a strange looking blade, a red bat wing shape with dark blue fingers, the guard being a light blue eye in a gray circle, the hilt black.

"Did Roxas make it in?" Toshiro asked Ansem.

"Yes, he's headed to the white room." Ansem replied while cutting down a Dusk. "The clue he needs to open the way to Sora is there."

"Can't you just lead him straight to Sora?"

"I'm rather busy at the moment."

The white haired Captain rolled his eyes and struck down two more Nobodies.

"How do I get out of this world?" He asked.

"Once Roxas returns to Sora he'll move him to the real world and bring you as well."

"Good, I don't plan on being stuck here."

"He never intended on trapping you here, especially after he learned what you were."

For that Toshiro simply nodded, striking down a few more Nobodies back to back with the hooded man as he waited for Roxas. He noticed there was another presence in what he supposed was the white room.

"Is Naminé supposed to be with Roxas?" He looked at Ansem.

"…No."

Sighing, Toshiro Flash Stepped to the building and stepped inside before leaping up to the second story, moving into the room where the Nobodies were. Just as he was opening the door to the pure white room, drawings covering the wall, he saw Naminé vanish, forced out by who he assumed was Diz, the man appearing seconds after in front of a furious looking Roxas.

"There's no knowledge that has the power to change your fate." Diz snapped at the Nobody, obviously annoyed.

"Even if it doesn't, I wanna know." Roxas growled back. "I have a right to know."

"A Nobody doesn't have a right to know. Nor does it even have the right to be."

"Diz." Toshiro snapped and the two looked in his direction, both surprised. "I suggest you tell him something or I will."

"Stay out of this, Captain." Diz frowned.

"Captain?" Roxas looked at his friend in confusion.

"I'm not human, Roxas, and you're a Nobody, only half a person." Toshiro replied. "They need you to return to Sora so that he can destroy Organization XIII."

"You may be a Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, Toshiro Hitsugaya, but you have no right to interfere in the affairs of other worlds." Diz argued.

"I do if it means I return home. My absence may be the difference between someone's life and death in my world and I suggest you keep in mind that I can easily break your system by releasing my zanpaktou."

Diz was obviously furious but Toshiro saw no reason to hold anything back from Roxas. If he was returning to Sora it would be good to transmit some of that information to Sora through the Nobody, but obviously the man disliked Nobodies too much to give the boy a chance. While the two figures glared, the room steadily growing colder and Roxas about ready to shout at them both, a dark portal appeared and a blonde haired girl stepped out of it.

"Roxas!" Naminé called out as she stepped out from the portal. "You won't disappear, you'll be whole."

"I'll…disappear?" Roxas looked concerned by this, taking a step away from them.

"No further outbursts!" Diz growled and grabbed onto Naminé's arm, dragging her back into the portal as Ansem appeared in the room.

"Too many Nobodies." He growled out to Diz and the man nodded to him.

"You won't disappear." Naminé spoke quickly to a stunned Roxas. Diz began to pull her inside, and though Toshiro wanted to help, he knew he had to stay out of it. "We will meet again, Roxas, and then we can talk about everything. I may not know it's you, and you may not know it's me, but we will meet again. I promise!"

"Wait!" Roxas attempted to help her but Ansem stepped in his path. "Naminé!"

Diz and Naminé vanished inside the dark portal, closing it behind them, and Ansem teleported using another portal away from them, leaving Toshiro and Roxas there alone. The Captain noticed a piece of paper that had been dropped by Naminé before she was taken and stepped over to pick it up, Roxas currently trying to process everything that had just happened. The picture was well sketched and he could tell it was important if she made sure to leave it for them. He folded the paper and pocketed it.

"I'm…a Nobody." Roxas muttered to himself. "Wait…You knew!"

At the accusing stare Toshiro sighed.

"Barely." He replied.

"But you knew and you didn't say anything! You've been working with them the entire time, haven't you!?

"Not really. Diz grates on my nerves and the man in black is just his henchman."

"Then why…why didn't you tell me anything?"

"Judging from your personality you would have tried to fight off the Organization on your own, and you can't do that. You need help, and that help means making you whole again. I'm not doing this to help Diz destroy Organization XIII. To be honest, I'm doing this to go home. I could care less what else happens."

He sheathed Hyorinmaru and let the temperature return to normal as Roxas continued to glare at him.

"You were just using me." He growled.

"Wrong, I was helping you." Toshiro corrected and Roxas snorted in disbelief. "If I was trying to use you I would have just taken you to Sora and forced you back together, or I would be helping Diz, which I'm not. Notice Diz never brings his real self here when I'm around. He's afraid I'll attack him and he's right in thinking that, considering he's threatened me far too many times."

"So…you're not…going to just abandon me?"

Toshiro quirked an eyebrow at the question. True, Roxas now realized his entire life here was nothing but lies and pixels, which was definitely sad and somewhat horrifying. However, he was also from an organization attempting to make themselves whole by sacrificing thousands of others. He had to know that now.

"I intend to help you through to the end, if that's what you mean." Toshiro finally answered, heading towards the doors. "And I'll be assisting Sora until I can return to my world, so in a way I'll still be helping you."

"…thanks, Toshiro." Roxas followed him quietly back out into the foyer.

"Don't thank me yet…" Toshiro muttered under his breath.

* * *

**So it's time for Roxas to return to Sora and the Nobodies are starting to pressure the two. Also, Roxas finds out the truth AND that Shiro knew about it. At least they managed to get over it and are now heading towards Sora. Let's see what happens next! Enjoy!**


	12. Twilight Town: Goodbye, Roxas

The pair entered the library in silence, Toshiro's sharp eyes catching onto a familiar drawing on the table. Carefully he approached it, pulling out the paper drawing he'd pocketed earlier as he did so. Roxas watched as he set the paper next to the drawing, the two almost identical save for the missing symbol on the bottom of the drawing on the table. It was a crown shape, similar to the teeth on Roxas's Keyblade. One of the other symbols was the strange shape found on the head of the Nobodies, with three spikes on top and rounded edges on bottom. The third was a heart, the bottom ends curling up.

"Well, I can see why Naminé dropped this now." Toshiro said and grabbed the yellow crayon lying on the table, quickly drawing in the crown symbol in the bottom circle.

Once he finished, the three circles lit up in a bright white light.

'_**I suggest you move.**_' Hyorinmaru warned with a growling tone.

He looked down and noticed the light was spreading outwards along the floor beneath them. Roxas looked stunned but Toshiro acted quickly, grabbing onto his arm and Flash Stepping to the edge where the light didn't touch. When he let go of Roxas, the Nobody fell in a slight daze.

"How do you move that fast?" He asked as the floor vanished, table with it, revealing a blue colored room with wires and metal coverings, a set of stairs leading down into it.

"Something all my kind can do." Toshiro replied and peered over the edge, noticing two doors, though one had pipes and broken metal plates barring the way. At least they knew where to go.

"What are you, exactly?"

Toshiro glanced at Roxas before heading down the stairs. He heard Roxas follow behind him quickly, the Keyblade appearing in his hands again, though the ice form had worn off again.

"Are you gonna-" Roxas began, annoyed.

"I'm a Soul Reaper." Toshiro cut him off, stopping at the door to the inside.

"Soul Reaper?"

"Yes. It means I'm technically dead."

He heard Roxas gulp behind him and stepped inside to see a small room with a platform, a laser above it, and multiple computer screens in the corner. Another door led further in and he was about to head that way when Roxas stepped towards the computers.

'_**This is a mirror version of the room we appeared in.**_' Hyorinmaru reported.

'_Diz is probably in the real one, waiting for Roxas to get a move on._' His master mused.

On that note he turned back to Roxas, noticing the blonde was holding his head in pain.

"Roxas?" He called out but got no response.

Toshiro watched Roxas carefully, wondering what it was that was making him hurt like that. When the blonde fell to his knees he rushed over and looked to see if maybe a Nobody had wounded him and inserted some kind of poison. He saw none and returned to observing, not knowing how to help him.

Finally the pain went away, replaced with rage in Roxas's dark blue eyes.

"Roxas, what happened?" Toshiro demanded, taking a step away from the blonde to give him room to stand.

"I remember now." He growled in reply. "I remember what happened to me, how they stuck me in this machine."

The Keyblade appeared in his hand and Toshiro took another step back, not wanting to get in the way of Roxas's rage towards Diz and Ansem.

"I can't believe they did that!" The blonde snarled and promptly began to smash the computers.

Toshiro reached out and grabbed Roxas's hand, preventing him from hitting the monitors again.

"How about you direct that rage at the enemy, not at inanimate objects?" He said to him, teal eyes hard as Roxas glared at him for getting in the way. "I can sense Axel approaching."

"Axel?"

"Yes, and by the rise in his Spiritual Pressure it's obvious he's not happy. You can expect he'll do his best to take you out this time."

"Spiritual…Pressure?" The rage slowly left Roxas's eyes, replaced with curiosity.

"No time to explain, he'll come in here if we don't hurry."

The white haired Captain returned to the door and stepped inside, seeing a spacious room with glowing green lines tracing a pattern on the floor. The Nobodies were close and Toshiro decided this room was better for fighting in than the computer room, stopping in place with Roxas at his side.

"Be ready." Toshiro warned, taking a moment to grab onto Roxas's Keyblade.

When the first Nobody rose up from the ground he let go, calculating that Roxas had seven minutes before the Keyblade reverted back, plenty of time to get rid of the Nobodies and move on before Axel showed up.

"_Way of Destruction Number Four, Pale Lightning!_" He chanted, shooting the Kido out and killing off two Nobodies close together before jumping forward with Roxas to strike down the next few.

The spike-armed Nobodies soon made an appearance as well, being harder to kill thanks to how they moved through the floor. There were also tiny Nobodies able to shift themselves into various weapons, including swords and spears, and even shield themselves. These were also difficult to work around but with the right counter they could manage.

Ice had spread itself along the floor, creating slippery footing for Roxas who wasn't used to it, and was thickening on the walls in spikes that were useful for throwing Nobodies into. As the Nobodies finally began to thin out, Toshiro noticed the ice Roxas had made was quickly melting, while his own was beginning to liquefy as well at a slower pace. That could only mean Axel was nearby and getting rid of the cold with his power. He quickly calculated how long they'd been fighting; two and a half minutes. Roxas had a little over four minutes left with the icy Keyblade.

"Simply amazing, Roxas." Axel said with a snappy tone as he entered the room from a portal, his power quickly melting the ice around them into a pool of water on the floor. Toshiro took out the last Nobody quickly and turned to face Axel next to Roxas.

"Axel." Roxas said back to the red-head.

"So you do remember me this time?" Axel turned a glare on them. "I'm so FLATTERED!"

At his shout, fire lit up in a circle around them, the heat immediately evaporating the water and weakening Toshiro as he was surrounded in exhausting flames.

"But you're too late!" The Nobody growled out, smirking as he noticed Toshiro back away from the flames with a slight stumble.

Roxas gave his white haired friend a worried glance before turning back to Axel, releasing the icy blade and instead reaching to his side as though grabbing a sheathed blade. Moving his hand back out, a different Keyblade came to his hands. It was white, the teeth in a star shape with yellow at the ends and white wings at the hilt, a silver keychain with a star made out of seashells.

"A different Keyblade…" Toshiro mused aloud.

Teal eyes widened as Roxas used his other hand and summoned a second one, this one black with black dragon wings at the hilt, a chain traveling up the shaft to the piercing black teeth made of sharp black swirls.

"Two?!" Axel looked surprised as well, before he growled and summoned his chakrams to his hands in a flash of fire and darkness. His head was bowed for a brief moment before he lifted it with a smirk. "Burn, baby!"

The floor became red hot and fire lifted up, weakening the ice Captain even more from the heat.

"Just hang on, Toshiro." Roxas called back as Toshiro held his head in pain, raising his Spiritual Pressure as much as he could to counter the heat, creating a small ring of cooled metal around him to protect him from the fire.

Roxas launched forward with his two Keyblades and struck at the man he used to call best friend, Axel fighting back with just as much vigor as the blonde. All his skills were back, much to Axel's dislike and he eventually knocked the red-head into the air before jumping up after him. They clashed blades several times before Roxas got the upper hand and sent the man crashing into the ground, flipping away to Toshiro's side as the floor returned to normal, the flames surrounding them lessening as Toshiro's icy Spiritual Pressure took advantage of its weakness.

"Don't think this is over!" Axel snarled as he shot back up to his feet and threw a flaming chakram.

"Reign over the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru!" Toshiro shouted out and sent the ice dragon straight towards Axel.

The two projectiles clashed midair, creating an explosion of steamy water that weakened the fire around them. Axel simply made it stronger before lighting himself aflame and jumping towards Toshiro.

"Don't even think about it." The ice Captain growled and pulled the chain-blade back to him.

Axel's eyes widened, not having noticed Toshiro throw it behind him. However he didn't have time to move as it wrapped around his body and began to slowly spread ice, causing the fire Nobody an immense amount of pain. Using all the power he could he melted the ice off and broke free of the chain, Toshiro quickly sealing his blade as he noticed the virtual world glitch terribly around them.

"Tch, you're one stubborn brat." Axel growled at the white haired child. Toshiro replied with a cold glare.

"Axel…" Roxas said sadly, noticing how tired out the man was. The fire around them had vanished.

"Heh," Axel smirked at him, "let's meet again in the next life."

The blonde nodded sadly as the Nobody faded away in darkness. However, Toshiro didn't think he was dead. He didn't vanish the way other Nobodies did and that was a cause for concern. Was this a trap?

"I'll stay here and make sure there are no more Nobodies." Toshiro turned to Roxas. "You move on."

"Okay, thanks." Roxas released the two Keyblades and proceeded to the next room.

Once the blonde was out of sight, Toshiro let out a pent up sigh. That fire took more out of him than he liked and not being able to fight at full power was a problem. He cursed being put into this virtual world. He sat down and put Hyorinmaru on his lap to rest a moment while keeping his senses alert for any Nobodies on the prowl.

'_**Let's hope he's the last of the fire kind**_.' Hyorinmaru rumbled.

'_We'll just have to assume there's more._' Toshiro sighed in reply.

There was a shift in power in Roxas's direction.

"It's started."

Diz looked at Roxas with new eyes, Toshiro's actions having forced him to rethink his opinion of Roxas. The boy had just tried to attack him after he called Roxas nothing more than a tool. However, Roxas stopped after the first attack failed.

"My apologies." Diz said, testing him. "This is only a data-based projection."

"Right, because you're afraid of Toshiro." Roxas growled and Diz turned to face him with a glare. "I'm right, aren't I? You won't bring your real self anywhere near a Soul Reaper."

"He told you what he is?"

"Yeah, which is a lot more than can be said for you."

"Hmph, I see no reason to say anything to a Nobody."

"Then shut up and get on with it." The blonde turned away. "I would actually like to help my friends, and only Sora can get Toshiro home."

Diz's eyes widened in shock at that statement. The boy was actually willing to disappear for the sake of someone he only thought he knew?

"It seems Captain Hitsugaya has had some rather good influence on you, Roxas." Diz said and then vanished in a flash of numbers. "Sora is waiting."

Roxas felt his non-existent heart sink, but carried on for Toshiro's sake. Before he moved to the white flower in the center where Sora no doubt slept on, he took out the yellow crayon he'd picked up from earlier and wrote something on the ground. In the next moment, he was gone.

From his place in the real world, Diz looked at what the boy had written to see if he should delete it.

"_Trust Toshiro._" He read aloud. "Hm…perhaps finding Hitsugaya was a miraculous twist of fate."

* * *

**Meant to post this yesterday but I was away from home all day ^^'. Went to a flea market and found a sword booth; they had so many zanpaktous! I felt like a kid in a candy store, i could recognize a lot of them. I really wanted Hyorinmaru but i'm broke T^T. So, now we'll have Sora lead Shiro back home. Tried to keep the fight as normal from the game as possible but I didn't want a ridiculously long chapter and i'm not the best at writing fight scenes. I try. Plus, with Toshiro there, it is gonna be a little different because Shiro's Spiritual Pressure would have been draining away Axel's energy to keep the fires up, thus making him a little easier to beat. Enjoy!**


	13. Twilight Town: Keybearer Awakens

Sora woke up to Donald and Goofy shouting at him, the giant white flower encasing him slowly opening. He yawned loudly only to hear them laughing, causing him to stop in a huff.

"Donald! Goofy!" He greeted with enthusiasm, jumping out of the flower.

He stumbled a bit, legs still waking up, and put an arm on each of them to hold steady until he could stand. The three of them laughed happily, glad to be reunited.

"Wow, that was some nap." A small cricket yawned.

"Hey Jiminy." Sora greeted the bug. "Hang on, we were asleep?"

"Seems so." Donald shrugged.

"How'd we get here?"

The three of them crossed their arms in thought.

"Well, we defeated Ansem…found Kairi…restored peace to the worlds…oh yeah, and then we went to find Riku. Right?"

"Sounds about it." Goofy agreed. "What does your journal say, Jiminy?"

"Let's see." The cricket jumped off Sora's shoulder and pulled out a journal and flipped the pages, noting with alarm that what should have been recorded words of their adventure after defeating Ansem were only two words. "Gosh. There are only two words in here. '_Thank Naminé_'. Wonder who that is."

They shrugged.

"Some journal that is." Donald grumbled, Jiminy looking a little sheepish.

"Hey look!" Sora pointed out another two words written in yellow on the white floor. "It says '_Trust Toshiro'_. Anybody know who that is?"

They shook their heads this time.

"So we have to find someone called Naminé to thank and if we find anyone called Toshiro we have to trust them." Goofy mused aloud, counting the two things on his fingers. "Gawrsh, maybe we'll find them while we're looking for Riku and the king."

"Guess we better find out where we are first." Jiminy said, leaping back onto Sora's shoulder.

"Right." Sora nodded and started leading the way out.

They passed through the room with smaller flower shaped pods and into the room where only minutes earlier had been a fierce battle of fire, ice and light.

Inside the room, Toshiro opened his eyes and looked towards the door, seeing three figures step inside. One had the same dark blue eyes as Roxas, but his spiked hair was brown and a little more outspread. His clothes looked a little small for him. Next to the boy was a white feathered duck with a blue hat and jacket and a large dog walking on its hind legs in tan pants and a green shirt, fur black. Toshiro guessed he must have already been transferred to the real world while he was speaking to Hyorinmaru.

"Oh, who are you?" The boy questioned, tilting his head curiously at the sight of the white haired boy sitting in the room, a deadly looking sword in his lap.

"It's rude to ask someone's name before giving your own first." Toshiro replied, sheathing Hyorinmaru.

"Oh, sorry." He smirked. "I'm Sora, and this is Donald," He motioned to the duck, "and Goofy," the dog.

"Nice to meet you." Toshiro nodded and stood. "I'm Toshiro Hitsugaya."

"Toshiro?" Sora's eyes lit up and Toshiro wondered if the boy had Roxas's memories. "Hey, there was a message on the floor that mentioned you." Guess not. "It said 'Trust Toshiro'."

'_That Roxas._' Toshiro inwardly sighed while his dragon chuckled. "Well, I'm glad that was there. I'm not quite sure how this meeting would go if it wasn't."

"Hang on a second." Donald stomped forward and Toshiro half didn't understand him. It took him a moment to adjust to the duck's nasally voice. "Who are you exactly?"

A white eyebrow was raised curiously at the duck before those cold teal eyes that made Donald shiver were turned to Sora.

"If I give you my full title I'm Squad Ten Captain, Toshiro Hitsugaya, of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. I'm a Soul Reaper."

Donald and Goofy seemed to know what that was, if vaguely, and gave him a cautious glance. Sora, however, had no clue what a Soul Reaper was and crossed his arms, trying to think if he'd ever heard those names before.

"Um…what's a Soul Reaper?" He finally gave up and asked.

"In short, I'm dead." Toshiro answered and Sora recoiled. "I'm a warrior that helps leads souls of the dead to a place called Soul Society. That's the world I come from. However…something managed to invade my world and took me out of it. I'm trying to find my way back."

"Oh…" The brunette took a moment to process that information. "Well, I'm a Keybearer, so I kinda do something similar when I destroy Heartless."

"Hey Sora, shouldn't we figure out where we are?" Goofy turned to the brunette, wary of the white haired Soul Reaper.

"Yeah." Sora nodded, and then turned back to Toshiro. "Hey, wanna come with us?"

"I planned on it. I was told you have a way of getting me home."

"We have the Gummi Ship." Sora grinned before Donald pulled his ear down, Toshiro wondering why a ship made of 'gummies' was capable of flying. He might as well use Bankai and fly through space for all the good a chewy dessert did.

"Sora, we don't know him." Donald growled.

"Yeah, but that message said to trust him." Sora argued.

"But we don't know who wrote the message." Goofy brought up.

"Well…I dunno, I feel like I can trust him, and not just because of the message." He smiled at his friends. "My heart says I can trust him."

Donald and Goofy shared a glance, concerned about Sora's sudden trust towards this dangerous stranger. It was obvious by the way Toshiro held himself that he was an experienced fighter and not to be messed with and was capable of turning on them any second. But the mysterious message was about him, and the boy had shown slight surprise when it was mentioned. So either he was a really good actor or he truly didn't know about the message, and Sora seemed to believe the latter.

"Alright, we'll trust him for now." Donald finally huffed in submission.

"Great!" Sora grinned broadly at them, turning to see Toshiro waiting patiently for them to finish. "Sorry about that Toshiro, let's go."

"That's Captain Hitsugaya." He snapped on instinct.

"Oh, okay."

Unperturbed, Sora led the way out with Toshiro close behind. There was really only one way out so he didn't feel the need to lead Sora around.

"So what kind of sword is that?" Sora asked Toshiro, hoping to strike a conversation with the quiet Captain. "I've never seen anything like it before."

"This is my zanpaktou, Hyorinmaru." Toshiro replied.

"Zanpaktou?"

"It's a blade used by all Soul Reapers and each one is unique to that Reaper. The end of it has a mark that, when placed on the head of a soul, sends it on to the Soul Society. We use the blade to fight creatures called Hollows, which is what a soul turns into if a Soul Reaper doesn't reach them in time."

"Sounds like a Heartless." Sora mused.

"They're very similar, yes." Toshiro nodded. "A zanpaktou is designed to counter a Hollow and purge them of their sins as one, thus sending them to the Soul Society."

"Cool. Does it have any special powers?" Sora grinned. "The Keyblade lets me use magic, and it changes shape depending on the keychain I put on it." He dug through his pockets. "Aw, man, I lost all my key chains!"

"Don't worry, Sora." Goofy assured. "You'll probably find more."

"Yeah, I guess." He sighed.

"To answer your question, Sora." Toshiro brought attention back to him. "My Hyorinmaru is an ice-water type, the strongest in Soul Society. The spirit inside the blade takes the form of a dragon made of ice and water."

"Awesome! That sounds like a really strong sword!" Sora put an arm around Toshiro's shoulders with a goofy grin on his face.

Scowling, Toshiro pushed him off. He was beginning to wish for Roxas back, as the blonde wasn't so 'in your face' and gave him room to breathe.

"Sora, let me see the Keyblade." He said as they stepped out of the mansion grounds and into the forest. "There's something else I noticed."

"Huh? Okay." Sora summoned his Keyblade with ease, wielding the same silver and gold one that Roxas had. "This is the Kingdom Key."

Donald and Goofy watched carefully as Toshiro put his hand on the blade, holding onto it for a second before letting go, white energy being sucked from his body into the weapon. It changed into the same icy blade as when Roxas had it.

"Whoa, it changed without a keychain." Sora examined the new Keyblade.

"It's borrowing my power." Toshiro explained. "That dragon is my zanpaktou spirit, Hyorinmaru, and it's possible you can even use my same techniques. However, there's a limit."

"There is?" Sora raised an eyebrow.

"Yes."

Sora jumped as his minute was up, the Keyblade reverting back into the Kingdom Key in a flash of light.

"Oh…" He looked disappointed by this.

"It takes some of my energy and converts itself into a Keyblade version of my zanpaktou, but it can only run so long until it's used up what it took from me. I'd say for every second I touch the blade it can hold the form for a minute."

"Cool, you'll have to teach me some of your moves." Sora grinned and they began walking again. "Hm…what should I call that one?"

"How about Frozen Heavens?" Goofy suggested and Toshiro tensed for a moment, catching Donald's eyes.

"Hey, that sounds perfect." Sora nodded and the name was picked.

"Funny you should pick that." They heard Toshiro mutter.

The trio glanced at him curiously, wondering what he meant by that. He gave no answer, leading the way out of the forest and through the town in silence.

* * *

**And so Sora! And now the icy Keyblade has a name! So unoriginal, I know, but I figured I might as well make it fit to the Zanpaktou release command of the Zanpaktou it's copying. So now we start finishing off Twilight Town and head to the wizard's tower where Yen Sid is. Finally getting out of town! ^^ Enjoy!**


	14. Twilight Town: Kings and Trains

Not really thinking where he was going, Toshiro ended up walking towards the usual spot where Hayner and the others would hang out with Roxas in the virtual world. He sensed Sora stop at the gate and turned to him, Donald and Goofy continuing inside.

"Something wrong, Sora?" Toshiro questioned the brunette.

"It's weird…" Sora huffed, scratching his head. "I feel like I've been to this town before…must be imagining things."

'_Perhaps Roxas is sharing a few memories with him._' Toshiro wondered.

'_**It's going to be a slow process, if he gets any of them at all.**_' Hyorinmaru agreed. '_**He probably only knows Roxas's more recent memories of this town; the virtual one, anyway.**_'

'_We'll see._' He turned away and walked inside, Sora following behind while trying to shake off a strange sense of familiarity.

When Toshiro stepped inside he indeed found Hayner, Pence and Olette, but understandably they did not recognize him.

"What do you want?" The blonde boy growled at them.

"Uh, nothing." Sora put his hands up as a sign of peace. "Just following Toshi - er, Captain Hitsugaya."

Hayner looked at the white haired child, narrowing his eyes. He felt like he knew the kid but also knew he'd never seen him before.

"Now you know. This is our spot."

"Then we'll leave." Toshiro shrugged, turning to leave before noticing Pence approach Sora.

The brunette looked at Pence curiously, wondering what it was he wanted.

"You're…new around here, right?" Pence questioned. "I'm Pence."

The other two stepped over.

"Hayner. Nice to meet you. But we got stuff to do, catch ya later." He left, giving Toshiro a wary glance as he passed.

"My name's Olette." The girl said. "Hey, did you finish that summer homework yet? Independent Studies is the worst, huh?"

"Homework?" Sora coughed. He turned to Toshiro. "Did I miss something?"

"Nope." Toshiro replied.

"Er…Anyway, I'm Sora. This is Donald, Goofy and Captain Hitsugaya."

Pence and Olette shared a glance, smiling, and Toshiro quirked an eyebrow at them. What were they planning? Did they recognize the Keybearer?

"Sora, Donald, Goofy." Olette called out the three of them. "We just met someone who was looking for you."

"He sure was in a hurry." Pence added. "He had on a black coat so I couldn't see his face, but he had these big round ears."

At first, Toshiro thought Pence was mentioning Ansem, until he spoke about round ears, even elaborating by using his fingers to mimic the shapes on his own head. The Captain didn't think anyone from the Organization would be so obvious about trying to get Sora, and he sure didn't think it would be anyone with enormous ears. Then again, Sora's traveling companions were a duck and a dog. The ridiculousness of that still hadn't quite settled in yet for Toshiro, which is why he was taking things so well.

"The king!" Donald said and Sora nodded, turning to Goofy for an extra confirmation.

"Where'd ya see him?" Sora asked Pence.

"At the station." Pence answered.

"Great! Thanks!" Sora grinned.

"See ya; we have to get back to that assignment." Olette grinned back, walking around them to the alleyway outside, Pence following behind her.

The trio waited for them to be out of earshot, Toshiro momentarily forgotten off to the side, before turning excitedly to one another.

"Oh boy!" Donald said happily. "The King's trying to find us!"

"Yeah, let's get to the station!" Sora replied.

"May I ask who this King is?" Toshiro questioned.

The trio jumped, having forgotten he was there. They weren't used to him being a travelling companion yet. Sora grinned at him sheepishly.

"King Mickey travels the worlds as a Keybearer too, but we got separated after defeating Ansem." He explained.

"Ansem?" Toshiro remembered the black hooded man giving his name as Ansem. Was that why he hid his face? But he'd been working with Diz trying to help Sora, so did he have a change of heart? No one in their right minds would assist in saving the boy who killed them.

"Yeah, he's this really powerful man who controlled all the Heartless." Sora's face grew serious. "He possessed my friend Riku and made us fight each other, and then tried to get to Kingdom Hearts using Riku's power. We stopped him and got him out of Riku, but then Riku and the King got trapped in the Realm of Darkness to close the door to it. We restored all the worlds but now we're trying to find them." Sora's face lit up once more. "And now the King is here, so maybe Riku's here too!"

'_Riku…possessed by Ansem…could the Ansem we met be this Riku person_?' Toshiro mused, following the friends as they raced back towards the station.

'_**It would make more sense for him to help Sora than if it was actually Ansem.**_' Hyorinmaru offered.

'_It would. But he was rather tall, so unless Sora only has adult friends I think he's a little old to be Riku._'

'_**Or Riku is trapped in the form of Ansem and he hides his face to avoid misunderstandings, considering what Ansem has done.**_'

'_A realistic possibility_.' He paused as they approached the station. '_We'll just have to find him again._'

As all four of them jogged into the open expanse of the station area, Toshiro sensed the approach of Nobodies.

"On guard, you've been found." Toshiro snapped quickly, drawing Hyorinmaru and darting forward, striking down a Nobody just as it rose from the ground.

"Whoa!" He heard Sora shout in surprise before the sound of the Keyblade being summoned reached his ears.

Toshiro didn't have time to worry about what kind of skills the three of them had before multiple Nobodies began to rise from the ground and leap at them. Though they seemed interested in Sora, the trio found that the strange creatures, which they had no knowledge of, saw Toshiro as their biggest threat. As Nobody upon Nobody continued to pour in and their drowsy limbs began to tire, the ice Captain was about ready to release his zanpaktou. Donald's skill in magic was useful and Goofy's ability to jump quickly around and defend from fatal attacks, not to mention use the shield like a boomerang, was definitely helpful, but they weren't ready for so much fighting after a year of sleeping.

"Stand back!" He ordered them as he used the chain-blade to take out a Nobody heading for the exhausted Sora.

"But-" Sora began to argue.

"Stand too close to me and you die." Toshiro lifted his zanpaktou, Sora and his companions moving over to the entrance of the station. "Reign over the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru!"

The clear twilight sky grew dark with clouds and the area became freezing in temperature. This had not happened in the virtual world due to Toshiro suppressing his power as much as possible and the virtual reality not responding to it. Now, however, there was a real weather system and it was possible for Sora and the others to get caught up in it.

"He…he can control the weather?" Sora gaped, his friends staring in awe at the white haired Captain facing off the wave of Nobodies, his icy blade held at his side.

Several Nobodies leaped and Toshiro slashed his blade through the air, sending out a large dragon of ice-water curling through the air and taking out most of the creatures in one go. He then placed the tip of his blade on the ground before slicing up and a wave of ice spiked up from the ground as it rocketed towards the last of the Nobodies, impaling them. They all quickly vanished in a whirl of blue spirit particles.

Toshiro let his power calm, the ice quickly breaking apart at his command and the clouds beginning to clear away as he sealed his zanpaktou, sheathing it once more. The Nobodies were decimated.

"That was so cool!" Sora shouted, racing over to him before stumbling slightly, still tired. "You gotta teach me how to do that!"

"Then you best use it wisely." Toshiro warned. "I told you to back up for a reason. If you had been any closer you would have suffocated from the force of my Spiritual Pressure when I released Hyorinmaru. The Nobodies don't seem to be affected by it."

"Spiritual Pressure?"

"You felt it, didn't you?"

When he thought about it, Sora did remember a sudden unbearable force pressing down on him and thinking for a brief moment that, had he not moved, he would have been crushed. His thinking had been correct.

"That's the power of a Soul Reaper." Toshiro said, bringing the boy from his thoughts. "I have to be careful about using my powers around you, though you'll probably get used to it the longer I stick around."

"So it won't be as bad?"

"Debatable, it depends on how much I'm using. The more I'm using the stronger the pressure."

There was a pause as Toshiro looked around for something, having felt a new Spiritual Pressure. It was masked much the same way Axel's and Ansem's were, meaning they were either from the Organization or just good at hiding their Spiritual Pressure.

"Something wrong?" Goofy questioned.

"Someone's coming…"

A tiny figure leaped down next to them. It couldn't have been more than two foot tall with large round ears and a thin tail. Was it... a mouse? A giant mouse, yes, but still a mouse. It held an inverted version of the Kingdom Key in hand, the shaft being gold and the handle silver.

But while Toshiro was wondering why a mouse had a Keyblade, the trio before him recognized him.

"Your majesty?" Donald questioned with hope and Toshiro quite literally let his mouth drop open. Their king was a mouse?

"Shh!" The King replied in a quiet tone, letting his Keyblade vanish for the moment. "You gotta board the train and leave town. The train knows the way." He turned to Toshiro. "If you would go with them, Mr. Soul Reaper. Thank you for the help."

"Er…" Toshiro wasn't quite sure what to say to a rodent.

"Here." He handed Toshiro a familiar pouch, one he remembered Ansem stealing from Roxas in the virtual world. Did that mean the King was working with Ansem? That made it even more possible that 'Ansem' was Riku.

The King quickly darted off, Keyblade back in hand, and Donald attempted to call after him to no avail.

"Was that really the king?" Sora asked his feathered friend.

"It coulda been." Goofy said while thinking. "Yup, I know it was!"

"Is everyone in your world an animal?" Toshiro asked Donald and Goofy.

"Yeah, problem?" Donald demanded.

Though he didn't say anything, they saw Toshiro grimace as he pocketed the munny pouch and walk towards the station doors. They wondered what his problem was.

The ice Captain hoped he could go home and get away from all these silly cartoon animals quickly.

* * *

******So I've gotten behind on my work for school and really need to get back to it. So, I may start posting later, with a day or two between each chapter. Sorry, but my mom's decided to start breathing down my neck about it and with school a month away I do need to get working. I have a painting to finish and a book to read. Sorry!**

**One more chapter of the Twilight Town area and we're off! So now Toshiro's met the king and has his suspicions about 'Ansem'. And Sora gets his first time to see the release of Hyorinmaru. Unfortunately, he was too busy admiring the change in weather to notice how the name he got for the icy Keyblade matches the release command...he'll figure it out eventually. Poor Shiro, surrounded by cartoons XD Enjoy!**


	15. Twilight Town: Leaving to Magic

"So, what are you two gonna do?" Sora turned to his familiar traveling companions, Toshiro walking ahead of them. "I've gotta find Riku and go back to the islands, Kairi's there waiting for us."

"Gawrsh, Sora. Do ya have to ask?" Goofy grumbled, putting on a saddened and somewhat annoyed looking expression. Donald had one as well.

Sora began to laugh and their white haired companion turned back to look at them curiously.

"What's so funny?" He questioned.

"Their faces." Sora replied between giggles.

Curious, Donald and Goofy turned to each other to see their faces, smiling as they realized they did look a bit ridiculous. They then joined Sora in his laughing while Toshiro huffed and went to get tickets for the train.

"So what do ya say guys? Let's stick together for one more journey." The Keybearer grinned as his friends nodded. "To…where again?"

"You're boarding the train." Toshiro replied, handing him the ticket. He'd already bought them.

"Oh yeah."

Donald sighed heavily and Toshiro just rolled his eyes and gave the animals their tickets before walking over to a familiar looking train, the one he'd thought was the virtual town's Ghost Train. The purple train was most definitely real this time. While he waited at the door for his new companions, he saw Hayner and the others come over to see Sora off. He wondered why, considering these three had never met Sora, or even Roxas.

'_I wonder where this train leads._' Toshiro mused while he waited.

'_**Somewhere…**_' Hyorinmaru replied teasingly.

'_Thank you, useless dragon._'

'_**Glad I can be of service, Master.**_'

Toshiro snorted at his zanpaktou spirit and turned to see if Sora was coming yet. Sure enough they were on their way over.

"Sorry for the wait, Captain." Sora grinned sheepishly at the Soul Reaper.

"Oh no, take your time." He replied sarcastically while stepping onto the train, leaving a confused Sora behind. He was capable of humor?

"Hey, Sora." He heard Hayner call out. "Are you sure we haven't met before?"

"Um…" Sora paused to think about that, Toshiro watching with interest from inside the train, which was thankfully a cool temperature, unlike Twilight Town trains. He hated that train ride. "Positive. Why do you ask?"

"Perhaps you met in another life." Toshiro offered truthfully. Unfortunately they thought he was joking and laughed, but he let them be. No point trying to explain THAT complicated system of the soul cycle.

Turning back to the others, Sora gave them a farewell grin and a wave before realizing he was crying. He quickly wiped it away.

"You okay?" Olette asked, worried.

"Y-yeah. Don't know where it came from." Sora replied, laughing nervously.

'_Must be Roxas._' Toshiro mused and moved to take a seat in the train.

"Pull it together." Hayner teased the brunette.

"Haha, right…see ya!"

Sora stepped onto the train and Donald closed the doors before moving to sit next to Goofy. The train started to move, Sora still at the door as he watched Twilight Town get smaller behind them.

"Sora." Toshiro called out, before throwing something to him as the Keybearer turned.

Catching the object quickly, Sora realized it was a small blue crystal; one Toshiro found in the pouch and remembered seeing on the Struggle trophy in Twilight Town.

"Um, thanks?" Sora tilted his head in question.

"It was in the pouch, thought it might get your mind off the town for a minute."

"Oh…" Sora's expression fell.

"Don't worry, we'll be back." Donald assured.

"Yeah, we'll come back to visit Hayner and those guys again." Goofy added on, his feathered friend nodding vigorously.

Light filtered through the windows from the outside and, just out of curiosity, Toshiro took a look out the window. His eyes widened as he realized they were now riding the train through space and sat up to get a better view, noticing they were following tracks of light that appeared as they moved. This was definitely strange to the Soul Reaper.

"Never traveled through space, Captain?" Goofy asked, noticing how interested the ice Captain was.

"Not…exactly." He replied quietly, still observing.

Talking animals he could somewhat deal with, as one of his fellow Captains was a dog. Moving on a train through space…not quite clicking in his head yet.

"Then you're gonna love the Gummi Ship." Sora grinned at him. "That's how we get from world to world."

"Isn't gummy a candy?"

"Ah, you're thinking gummy." Donald said, lifting a finger as if teaching. "The Gummi we're talking about is spelled G-U-M-M-I. It's really hard material that comes in small pieces and it can be arranged in a lot of ways. It's perfect for space travel."

"I see."

Sitting back down, Toshiro took a moment to try and wrap his head around everything. He'd since come to terms with the fact that he was definitely on another world and NOT dreaming, and that he was traveling with a kid who used a giant key as a weapon and two talking animals of the cartoony type, not like Captain Komamura who was fierce looking. He'd also gotten used to fighting Nobodies instead of Hollows, switching his tactics for the smaller and quicker creatures in order to fight efficiently.

Now he just needed to come to terms of travelling through space on a train and eventually a ship as well as having possibly no way of getting home. The latter he didn't want to come to terms with, not unless he was outright told there was no way home. As long as he stuck with Sora there was a chance he could return and he would take that chance.

"Hey Captain."

Sora's voice brought him out of his thoughts and he noticed Sora sitting next to him.

"Since we've got some time, maybe you can tell us about your world?"

"Yeah, I'd like to know more about Soul Reapers." Donald piped up.

"There's only so much I can tell you." Toshiro replied. "I'm under strict orders not to give out too much information about the Soul Society."

"Orders? From who?" Goofy questioned.

"The Head Captain."

"Ya know, you've already told us a lot, especially about your zanpaktou." Sora pointed out. "I think you already disobeyed orders."

'…_Dammit, he's right._' Toshiro grumbled mentally while outwardly sighing. "Fine."

"Cool!" Sora grinned in victory and teal eyes turned to glare at him. "So, what's the Thirteen Court Guard Squads? You said you were a Captain of that group."

"Correct. The Thirteen Court Guard Squads is a military group of trained Soul Reapers. Our job is to destroy Hollows, which are like Heartless as you noticed, and protect the souls of those who die. As the name suggest there are thirteen squads, each with a Captain ruling over them with the Squad One Captain also ruling as the Head Captain. Under the Captains are the Lieutenants, and under them twenty seated officers from those with more power to those of less power. Anyone under that is simply a grunt. I run Squad Ten with my Lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto."

"What are the other Captains like?"

"Well, to put it short, there's a few crazy ones and a few somewhat normal ones. There are few I get along with and the same goes for their Lieutenants."

"Gawrsh, must be hard to work together." Goofy frowned.

"We generally don't work with other squads. Each squad has their own task to do and we try not to interact with one another unless under orders."

"Tasks? Like what?" Sora questioned.

"Squad Two coexists with the Stealth Squad, which is a group of trained assassins. Most of the seated officers and the Lieutenant also have a commanding role over a Stealth Force Squad, and the Captain leads both divisions. Squad Twelve also runs the Department of Research and Development."

"So what does Squad Ten do?"

"We don't have any special tasks such as Squad Two or Twelve. My squad does what the others do, which is to train new Soul Reapers, eradicate Hollows and protect souls. When we get orders we follow them whether we like it or not."

"Sounds pretty strict." Donald crossed his arms, looking skeptical.

"It's a military society; of course the rules are strict." Toshiro snapped. "Important orders come from Central 46, which is comprised of elders and nobles. They give orders to the Head Captain and he in turn passes those orders to the rest of the squads."

"Well it sounds like a cool place." Sora grinned and Toshiro gave him a skeptical glance. "Except for the whole 'strict rules' part, I guess, hehe. I wonder if we can find your world."

"I seriously hope so." The ice Captain sighed in agreement.

It got quiet again after that, Sora's head bobbing off to sleep and his animal companions staring eagerly out the window for their destination. Eventually even they sat down and began to drift off. Toshiro did not bother to break the oppressing silence and kept his eyes closed to feign sleeping while he waited for the train to stop.

"Hey look!" Donald quacked, startling the others awake. "I think we're there!"

"I'd prefer if you didn't shout." Toshiro mumbled under his breath before sitting up and looking out the window.

Sure enough they were approaching some sort of island, the space around them gone with a thick mist below them and tall mountains peeking up, suggesting their destination was on top some kind of flat tipped mountain. A crooked tower stretched up out of the ground with small trees dotting the green ground around its resting point. His sharp eyes spotted a large figure at the door, though he quickly realized it wasn't a Nobody. A Heartless, perhaps? He hadn't met one of those yet.

The train slid to a stop with a good few yards of distance between them and the tower door where the large figure sat leaning against it. Time to find out what it was.

* * *

**Well, finally out of Twilight Town. How many chapters was that? Nevermind, don't answer that. Anyway, Sora gets to know a little more about his Soul Reaper companion and Shiro gets his first trip through space! Exciting. Now they need to figure out who's at the door ;) Enjoy!**


	16. Mysterious Tower: Heartless and Sorcery

"Be on guard, there's someone at the door already." Toshiro said to the others, hand reaching up for Hyorinmaru's hilt.

"Right." Sora nodded, hand clenched at his side to summon the Keyblade at a moment's notice.

Donald and Goofy seemed to be weaponless, but he remembered them having weapons before. Could they summon those the way Sora summoned his Keyblade? Interesting.

There was a flash of light behind them and as they turned to look they saw the train vanish in specks of light.

"There goes our ride." Sora laughed nervously.

"Then our only option is to move forward." Hitsugaya sighed and started the group moving again.

As they got closer, Toshiro realized it was some kind of animal character as well, though what kind he couldn't tell until he saw his face. His outfit was strange, mostly black with a bit of blue on the belts and red on top. His fur was black, which made the ice Captain wonder if it was a dog. He seemed to be listening in on whatever was happening inside.

They reached the foot of the stairs, unnoticed by the creature at the door.

"What's going on?" Donald asked, hoping it was a friendly unit.

The creature gave an evil laugh and Toshiro had little hope it was friendly.

"I sent some of my lackeys inside to see if the master of this here tower's as big and tough as they say." He replied, not turning to look at them. He was wide open, tempting Toshiro to just attack and get it over with, but he needed information. "Word is, he's a real powerful sorcerer. Which would make him the perfect bodyguard for me." He laughed again. "See, it don't matter how tough he is – once he's a Heartless, he'll do as I say!"

"A Heartless?" Toshiro demanded, noticing the three next to him take a fighting stance. Yes, he was obviously a bad guy.

"That's right. They're those things that come outta the darkness in folk's hearts. Why, with all those Heartless at her side, my dear friend Maleficent is gonna conquer everything!"

"Who's Maleficent?" Toshiro turned to Sora.

"Not a problem." Sora replied to him with a grin before turning back to the creature, who was going on about repaying some kind of debt by going around to different worlds and gathering powerful Heartless.

"Why am I talkin' to you pipsqueaks anyway?" The creature could have sworn it got colder and Sora glanced at Toshiro. "Go on, scram. I'm behind schedule as it is."

"You should find something nicer to do." Goofy suggested. Sora and Toshiro both gave him an 'are you kidding me?' look.

"Says who?" The creature growled and finally turned, revealing himself to actually be a portly cat of sorts rather than the dog he believed him to be from behind.

Upon seeing them there, the cat's face lit up in shock.

"It's you!" He growled, pointing to Donald and Goofy, who also looked startled.

"Pete?!" They said at once. Toshiro and Sora shared a glance, wondering how they knew this animal.

"What are you two nimrods doing here?!" Pete snarled angrily at them.

"What are you doing here?" Donald replied snappily, stomping one of his webbed feet.

"You know him?" Toshiro questioned the animals.

They nodded.

"We sure do." Goofy answered. "Pete's been causing trouble for ages. His Majesty banished him to another dimension a long time ago."

"Then how did he escape?" The ice Captain turned to the fat cat.

"Ha ha!" Pete sneered. "You wanna know how, eh? Well, Maleficent busted me out, that's how!"

"I thought you said she wasn't a problem." Toshiro turned once more to Sora.

"Not anymore." Sora shrugged.

Realizing he was being ignored, Pete stomped his feet angrily.

"You just wait until Maleficent gets here, pipsqueaks!"

"She can't." Sora grinned. "She's toast!"

Pete's mouth dropped open in surprise as he absorbed that bit of information, Sora and his companions snickering while Toshiro just sighed. Shouldn't they be heading into the tower to help the sorcerer inside, considering Pete sent Heartless in there?

"You!" Pete pointed accusingly at Sora. "So you're the ones that did it!

"Well…" Sora put his hand behind his head. "We might have had something to do with it."

"I didn't." Toshiro cut in.

Ignoring the white haired child, Pete growled.

"Heartless Squad! Round up!" He shouted out.

Toshiro was the first to draw his weapon, Sora quickly following suit. Small shadows appeared on the ground before rising up to reveal small black forms. They had large, curly antennae and big yellow eyes, much like a Hollow's eyes. They had a similar Spiritual Pressure to one as well.

"Hehe, that blade won't help you, kid." Pete jeered. "If you even know how to use it."

"I assure you, I can use it." Toshiro snapped back. "And it will work."

To prove this, Toshiro darted towards the nearest Heartless and ran his blade through it before swinging upward, killing the tiny creature. It vanished into blue spirit particles just like a Hollow.

However, when he glanced at Sora and saw him destroy a Heartless with his Keyblade, the creature instead dissipated into shadows, a bright pink heart full of pure Spirit Energy lifting from the shadows and vanishing into the sky.

'_So what happens to the Heartless I kill?_' He wondered, striking down two more.

'_**We shall have to look into it, but not now. Worry about getting rid of the ones here first.**_' Hyorinmaru responded.

The small squad was relatively easy to kill with Toshiro's quickness and Sora's experience with the creatures, as well as Donald and Goofy's abilities.

"But, how?" Pete gaped. "That sword shouldn't be able to do nothin' to the Heartless!"

"Instead of looking surprised you should be looking for an escape." Toshiro replied and spun the chain-blade, noticing with some amusement that Pete's shock increased at the sudden change.

Quickly wiping away his surprise, Pete stomped the ground angrily.

"You just wait!" He snarled. "Nobody, and I do mean nobody, messes with the-Ah!"

Though large, Pete was surprisingly quick as he jumped out of the way of the chain-blade thrown at him. He was not, however, very well balanced and fell onto his stomach, scrambling to stand back up. Toshiro pulled the blade back to him.

"You talk too much." He sighed.

"I wonder who lives in this tower." Sora questioned, having left Toshiro to deal with Pete. The white haired Captain glanced angrily at the brunette for being so carefree.

"Oh, ya don't know, eh?" Pete smirked, finally finding something to give him the upper hand. He watched the chain-blade in Toshiro's hand carefully. "Well it's old Yen Sid. 'Course he's probably a Heartless by now!"

"Master Yen Sid lives here?!" Donald exclaimed in surprise, catching their attention.

The white duck quickly turned to the door and ran inside, only stopping to push open the heavy door. Toshiro wondered if anyone on these worlds had common sense. They had an enemy standing before them and they run off to some old wizard? He turned back to Pete.

"Yen Sid is the King's teacher." Goofy said behind him. Now there was something interesting.

"Wow, sounds powerful." Sora exclaimed.

Toshiro heard the two run after Donald behind him and scowled, not believing that they would let an enemy go so easily like that.

'_**How much harm can this cat do, honestly?**_' Hyorinmaru suggested. '_**He has barely any power to speak of and this wizard may have an answer to getting you home.**_'

'_You seriously expect me to let him go?_' Toshiro complained.

'_**With his master, Maleficent, dead, he probably has no way of doing anything overly destructive. The worst he can do is roll over you**_.'

'_Still…_'

'_**This might be your only chance on finding a way home**_.'

Sighing audibly, Toshiro turned form his inner conversation to see Pete looking towards the door where Sora and the others had run through, looking forgotten, which he was. Toshiro ran through the doors with Flash Step before Pete turned back.

Mentally cursing the Keybearer and his friends, Pete turned back to the only one still there, only to find the strange white haired child had vanished as well.

"What!? Where did he go!?"

After stepping inside the tower, Toshiro saw Goofy vanish into a bright portal just a little ways up the stairs.

"Well…it is a wizard's tower." He sighed and followed after them.

Upon moving through the portal, Toshiro found himself in a much larger tower with no bottom or top. The stairs he was on curved to the right up to a blue door with a golden star on it. Donald and Goofy were stepping into the room while Sora held the door open. The brunette caught sight of Toshiro, having been waiting for him, and waved the white haired Captain over. With a quick Flash Step he was at the Keybearer's side in seconds.

"Whoa!" Sora said, jumping in surprise. "How did you do that?"

"Flash Step. Most Soul Reapers can use it, some faster than others." Toshiro explained while stepping into the room, Sora closing the door behind them.

"Cool! That would be useful to use."

"I don't think you can learn it."

"What? Why not?"

"No human has ever learned it, it's not possible."

The brunette frowned and looked about to argue back when he was cut off by more Heartless popping up from the ground. It was nearly impossible to sense these things due to how they appeared out of nowhere. Toshiro couldn't sense them until they were right at his feet ready to strike. The group was relatively easy to kill just using basic sword skills. He figured the Heartless got stronger but for now even the lowest Soul Reaper could kill these things.

"Guess we go up." Sora said, turning to the green door with an arrow that pointed up pulsating with light.

"And here I thought we go back down." Toshiro replied while walking towards the door. He kept Hyorinmaru unsheathed, knowing the Heartless could pop up at any time. "I'm sure Pete would like the company."

"I seriously can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not." He heard Sora complain.

"You'll figure it out eventually."

"Somehow I doubt that." Donald grumbled.

The trio followed after their Soul Reaper companion onto a longer, green set of stairs, this one curving up to the left to a green door with a moon on it this time. Once in the small room they were once more ambushed by Heartless.

"How many Heartless did Pete say he sent?" Toshiro questioned to no one in general.

"I don't think he said how many." Goofy replied.

"If he had this many why didn't he send them earlier?"

"Because they're all in here trying to get to Master Yen Sid of course." Donald snapped at the boy.

"I know." Toshiro growled back before killing off three of the Heartless. There was a new kind now, a little more durable. They stood about three foot with an armored helmet and thick red claws, main body dark blue.

After all the shadowy creatures were dead, the trio took a moment to rest while Toshiro went to the door, peeking out for signs of any more Heartless. He was getting tired of the beasts and wanted to see this powerful wizard Donald and Goofy kept mentioning.

"Heartless, Heartless, Heartless!" Donald grumbled. "Things haven't changed one bit!"

"Well it's a good thing we're on the job then." Goofy attempted a grin to lighten the duck's mood.

"So, the worlds aren't at peace after all?" Sora sighed, depressed.

"Did you really expect them to be?" Toshiro snorted. "My world may not have Heartless, but we have our fair share of problems. There is no peace, only rests."

"Yeah…guess so."

"Come on."

Toshiro let the trio take the lead, unsure how to greet the old wizard and deciding to follow Donald and Goofy's example. Whether they saluted or bowed, he'd make sure to keep his manners and follow suit, especially if he wanted to earn information on how to get home. If all went well he might be home before Momo and Rangiku worried about him, and before the latter destroyed the office.

It was while dreading the amount of paperwork he'd have to do that he walked up the straight orange stairs and into the office of Master Yen Sid.

* * *

**The discussion with Yen Sid come next chapter, hehe, this one was introducing Pete and the Heartless and all that. Yen Sid will explain a few more things about the relation between the Keyblades and the zanpaktou, as well as mention more about this mysterious Soul Reaper who came before and knows Toshiro ;) Enjoy!**


	17. Mysterious Tower: Lesson of a Quest

The office seemed like a cozy place, though it had its stereotypical Wizarding items scattered around; pots, spell books, and was that a broomstick? He didn't think wizards actually used those, or was it just a cleaning tool? Whatever the case it wasn't important.

The wizard himself sat in a high backed chair behind a desk dressed in a blue robe with a pointy blue hat on his head. He had a long gray beard and a fierce looking expression. Toshiro quickly glanced at Donald and Goofy, noticing they were standing at attention while Sora just looked confused. With a sweep of their hands the two animals bowed. The brunette between them looked even more confused while Toshiro bowed as well, respecting the old wizard's power for he had quite a bit.

"Master Yen Sid." Donald greeted. "It's an honor."

"Hey there." Sora grinned, waving, until his companions turned on him.

"Sora, show some respect. Captain Hitsugaya did." Donald growled.

Sora laughed nervously. However, Yen Sid gestured with his hands for them to calm, glancing at Toshiro with a curious expression as the Soul Reaper stood off to the side before looking at the Keybearer.

"So, you are Sora." Yen Sid said as more of a fact than a question. "Now then, have you seen the King yet?"

"Yes we did, Master." Goofy answered. "But we didn't get a chance to talk to him."

"Yes…the King has been quite busy as of late. Therefore, it would seem that the task of instructing you three falls upon my shoulders." He once more glanced at Toshiro. "Or, it seems, the four of you." He turned back to Sora. "You have a perilous journey ahead of you. You must be well prepared."

"You mean…we have to go on another quest?" Sora's face screwed up at the thought of another long journey ahead of him.

"I have no intention of going on a quest." Toshiro stepped in.

"Perhaps you will when you hear what I have to say, Soul Reaper." Yen Sid replied quickly, startling Toshiro with the fact that he knew what he was.

"And I was hoping I could find my friend Riku, so we could go back to the islands." Sora argued.

"Yes. I know." The wizard sighed. "However, everything in your journey, Sora, is connected. Whether you will find your way home to the islands…whether you will return alone or with your friend…whether your Soul Reaper friend will find a way back to the Soul Society…and whether or not the islands will still be there."

At that Sora's face became downcast.

"And the key that connects them all is you, Sora." Yen Sid finished.

The brunette recoiled.

"I'm…the key?" He questioned, completely confused. He held his hand out, summoning the Keyblade into his hand.

"Chosen wielder of the Keyblade. You are the key that will open the door to light."

'_**How cliché does that sound?**_' Hyorinmaru chuckled as Sora nodded.

'_Hush._'

Yen Sid gestured with his hand and a large book appeared on the table in front of Sora in a puff of smoke.

"This book contains valuable information you will need for your journey. Study it carefully." Yen Sid explained. "Once you have finished, we will speak of the enemies you will surely confront. In the meantime I will speak with your new companion."

Sora grabbed the book and went to sit against the wall, Donald and Goofy following, while Toshiro moved to stand across the table in front of Yen Sid.

"What brings a Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads to my humble tower?" Yen Sid asked, bowing his head slightly to the ice Captain before Toshiro could do so first.

"I was taken from my world by the darkness." Hitsugaya replied.

"I see, and only a decade or so after the last one…" Yen Sid mused. "Ah, before we continue, may I have a name? You know mine now, I'm at a slight disadvantage."

"Squad Ten Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya." There was a slight pause. "You said only a decade between. You know another Soul Reaper?"

"He was taken by the darkness not too long ago, becoming a dark creature which I will discuss when those three finish their reading. But I don't think you followed them here for that information." He gave the Captain a knowing look.

"No…I wish to know how to return to my world."

"I'm afraid I do not have much information there, as I could not give it to the last Soul Reaper who came seeking the same answers."

"Whatever you do have would be of great help, though."

"I thought as much. The key to getting you home is the boy now reading in the corner." Yen Sid gestured offhandedly to Sora immersed in the book. "Though it might take some luck there is a way to open the pathway to the Soul Society, or perhaps even the World of the Living connected to it. Whichever realm you land in at least you would be home, yes?"

"Though I would prefer to keep it to the World of the Living or Soul Society." Toshiro grimaced. "I don't fancy taking a trip to Hell."

"Oh I would too." Yen Sid chuckled slightly. "But back to how to get there. I'm sure you've noticed the Keyblade's ability to copy the power of your zanpaktou?"

"I have."

"If you can put enough of your power into the Keyblade, it may be able to open the pathway to your world long enough for you to travel inside with the Gummi Ship, which I plan on surprising Sora with later." The wizard winked. "It will need to be reopened for them to exit, but in the land of the Soul Reapers I'm sure that won't be a problem."

"No, it won't." Toshiro sighed. "But…if that's all it takes, why could the other Soul Reaper not make it?"

"He did not have enough power to open the gate, nor could he find a strong enough Keybearer. King Mickey was not powerful enough at the time for such a task and had no means of traveling there."

"Are you sure it will work for me?"

"If you don't have a Limiter it shouldn't be a problem, though it will only work if the Keyblade can sense the path after absorbing your power. It may take several tries." Yen Sid noticed Toshiro's face pale. "Ah, yes. As a Captain, a Limiter is placed on you before leaving to the World of the Living."

"I had gone there for a mission and had no need to remove it, and I have no way of contacting the Soul Society to have it removed." The white haired Captain groaned.

"The Good Fairies may be able to fix that." Yen Sid smiled when Toshiro raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes, fairies. You will see a lot of strange things on this quest, Captain, try not to be so alarmed. The other Soul Reaper was quite surprised as well, always shocked about everything." His expression darkened. "It may be why he fell into darkness so easily."

"I can assure you I won't fall into darkness. Hyorinmaru would not allow that."

"Would that be your zanpaktou?" Toshiro nodded. "What kind of spirit is he?"

"An ice dragon. Hyorinmaru is the strongest ice-water type zanpaktou in all of Soul Society. I only recently perfected Bankai."

"A true prodigy." Yen Sid smiled. He noticed Sora stand up. "It seems Sora is ready to move on. Shall we?"

Nodding, Toshiro stepped to the side, allowing the trio to stand in front of the table.

"How come the Heartless are still running around?" Sora questioned while setting the book back on the table.

"Your past endeavors did prevent an immense effusion of Heartless from the great darkness; make no mistake about that." Yen Sid replied solemnly. "However, the Heartless are darkness made real and darkness yet lives in every heart. The Heartless are fewer, but while darkness exists in a single heart, it will be difficult to eliminate them."

The trio sighed and their shoulders slumped.

"It's the same with Hollows." Toshiro said, all eyes turning to him. "Every soul is capable of becoming a Hollow; whether from evil they committed in their living forms or the corruption of their Chain of Fate, a chain that connects a soul to its body. Once the Chain of Fate is cut due to death that soul has a limited amount of time before they become a Hollow. It is impossible to destroy all Hollows; that is why the Soul Society is always prepared to fight, and why it is also a military based society."

"Correct." Yen Sid nodded. "Just like what Captain Hitsugaya explained, the Heartless are always able to appear from even the slightest darkness and there is no way to eliminate them for good."

"Gawrsh, that must mean if everybody's heart was full of light, them Heartless'd go away!" Goody exclaimed. Donald and Sora nodded vigorously in agreement.

"It's impossible to fill everyone's heart with light." Toshiro argued. "That's too many worlds, too many people. There will always be darkness somewhere among the masses."

"We can still try." Sora snapped defiantly.

"It is time to speak of the enemies that you will encounter." Yen Sid cut in before an argument was started.

Waving his hand to a spot off to the side, a glowing circle appeared and showed a transparent image of Donald. Said duck quacked in surprise. The light then intensified before flashing and revealing one of the pitch black shadow Heartless, twitching around like a bug searching for its next meal.

"If one such as you, Donald, yields to the darkness in their heart, they, too, will become a Heartless. But you know this." The trio nodded, Toshiro simply listening with interest. He didn't need much to know the basics of a Heartless. Which reminded him; he needed to ask Yen Sid about what happens when Heartless were killed by a zanpaktou instead of a Keyblade or magic, as Donald's kills also led to the release of a heart, as did Goofy's. "The Heartless are always lurking and ever seeking new ways to capture new hearts."

"I noticed that when Sora kills a Heartless, a heart is released." Toshiro cut in.

"Yes. This is a result of the Keyblade's power, unlocking the heart from darkness and freeing it." Yen Sid replied.

"When I destroy a Heartless, it vanishes into spirit particles as a soul would when moving on to the Soul Society, or when a Hollow is killed. Should I be concerned?"

Stroking his beard, Yen Sid took a moment to digest this information, Sora and his friends waiting eagerly for an answer. Toshiro didn't want to do any damage to the balance of worlds.

"From what I have heard about the power of your zanpaktous, I believe they act in the same way as a Keyblade." Yen Sid spoke. "Though instead of unlocking the heart from darkness as a Keyblade does, the zanpaktou purges the soul of the heart, sending it straight on to a new life. The hearts unlocked by the Keyblade tend to travel for a bit, heading to a place called Kingdom Hearts. What happens there is truly a mystery, but eventually the heart is reborn."

"Cool, your sword is even better for fighting Heartless!" Sora exclaimed, giving the Captain a thumbs up.

"Do not underestimate the Keyblade's power, Sora." Yen Sid warned. "Zanpaktous are indeed useful against Heartless, but they were designed to fight Hollows. They cleanse the soul not the heart, and so the darkness in that heart will remain into its new life."

"Oh…"

"Now then…" The wizard waved his hand once more, revealing the slim white figure of the Nobodies that Toshiro was by now familiar with.

"At times, if someone with a strong heart and will – be they evil or good – becomes a Heartless, the empty shell they leave behind begins to act with a will of its own."

The image of the Heartless vanished, leaving only the dancing Dusk.

"An empty vessel whose heart has been stolen away… A spirit that goes on even as its body fades from existence – for you see, Nobodies do not truly exist at all."

'_And yet Roxas was essential to getting Sora back. If he didn't exist, Sora would surely be lost forever._' Toshiro mused.

"Nobodies may seem to have feelings, but this is a ruse – they only pretend to have hearts. You must not be deceived."

'_**Tell that to Roxas.**_' Hyorinmaru snorted.

The ice Captain was startled out of his thoughts as three more of the Dusks were shown closer to Sora and his companions and he reached back for his blade before realizing it was simply more projections.

"Now then…the being you see before you is known as a Dusk. They are the most common form of Nobodies."

'_I figured as much, they were everywhere._' Toshiro sighed mentally.

"But there are others," Yen Sid continued, "some larger, and some with frightening and unique powers. Be vigilant."

The trio nodded their consent, showing they had no problem looking out for Nobodies. Toshiro was more concerned with the organization Axel came from; weren't they Nobodies? He thought about asking Yen Sid once he was done talking about the Dusks, which, as he said, were destined to return to the darkness.

"But," Yen Sid countered, waving his hand once more. Three figures in the same robes Axel had been wearing now stood in place of the Dusks. "The beings you see before you now are different."

"Organization XIII." Toshiro said, noticing Yen Sid look at him in surprise. "I had a run in with one of them. They were after…something. I managed to get away, as you can see."

"Yes, well." Yen Sid cleared his throat. "These powerful Nobodies command the lesser Nobodies. While Heartless act on instinct, Nobodies function in a higher manner. They can think and plan, and it seems they are working towards a goal. What that goal is, we do not know."

'_Wasn't it…Kingdom Hearts?_' Toshiro mused. '_Axel was more worried about getting Roxas back to mention anything, and Diz was basing his theory on a hunch, so I'm not sure if this Kingdom Hearts thing is really what they want._'

'_**Perhaps mention it in passing?**_' Hyorinmaru suggested. Yen Sid was currently speaking about how King Mickey had sensed the danger and moved to fight it, now traveling worlds and fighting Heartless while trying to find out what the organization wanted.

"Could it be Kingdom Hearts they're after?" Toshiro questioned. Yen Sid turned to him in surprise. "You mentioned that the Nobodies have no heart, and that when a heart is freed by the Keyblade it travels to Kingdom Hearts. Perhaps they want Kingdom Hearts in order to regain their former self."

"That…is a possibility." The wizard mused, stroking his beard once more. "One that cannot be allowed to pass. To use Kingdom Hearts in such a way…impossible."

"Wow, you're really smart." Sora looked at Toshiro with new respect, Donald and Goofy nodding in agreement.

"I'm a prodigy, it's how I became a Captain at such a young age." Hitsugaya replied.

"Sweet. Well, we better find the King first and tell him to see if it helps."

"But where could he be?" Donald tapped his foot and crossed his arms, closing his eyes in thought. Sora shrugged.

"Well, we won't know 'til we look." Goofy offered

"Yeah." Sora agreed. "And the King must know where Riku is, 'cause the two of them were together in the realm of darkness when we closed the door. You know, after defeating Ansem."

"So," Yen Sid cut in, "before you go, you will need more suitable traveling clothes. Those look a bit too small for you." Sora examined his outfit, which was indeed rather small on him, and laughed nervously. "Through there, you'll find three good fairies." He gestured to a large set of double doors. "If you ask, they'll create appropriate garments for you."

"Gawrsh Sora, you sure are growing fast." Goofy smirked.

"Uh, I guess." Sora shrugged.

Rolling his eyes, Toshiro went ahead and walked through the doors, hoping to speak with the fairies first. He wanted to know if he could contact Soul Society with their help.

* * *

**So we meet Yen Sid and learn more about the Heartless and Nobodies, as well as the similarities between zanpaktous and Keyblades. And we find there might be a way home for Shiro! Whoo! Except he needs the Limiter removed...well damn. And who's this mysterious Soul Reaper turned dark? Someone we all know? Or maybe someone else? Haha, next chapter! Enjoy!**


	18. Mysterious Tower: Drive Forms and Gummis

In the room with the fairies were yet more Wizarding items as well as three small figures, no doubt the fairies themselves. One wore a red dress with a pointy red hat and cape, hair light gray. Another woman had on a green version of the same outfit with darker gray hair and a little slimmer than the one in red. The last was the shortest fairy in blue with black hair.

"Excuse me." Toshiro called out to the three.

They turned to him with kind smiles on their faces.

"Oh my, a Soul Reaper." The one in red said with surprise. "Is there something you need, dear?"

"I was wondering if you could help me with something." He stepped closer to them. "I have no way of contacting the Soul Society, my home. I was wondering if there was a chance you could give me a way to communicate with them."

"Hm, that is troubling." The one in green mused. "That world has been closed off for centuries now, it's nearly impossible to get to."

"I just need a way to communicate." Toshiro said and reached into his pocket, pulling out his Soul Pager. "This is usually how I contact them when I go on a mission to the World of the Living, but it's not exactly made for use on other worlds."

"Oh my," The one in red took the phone gently, "I'm not sure we can help you there. Technology isn't our strong point."

"That's alright, I was simply wondering."

"Though…we might be able to find another way, if you give us some time. We'll send it to you when we're done."

"Thank you very much." Toshiro nodded and took the phone back, even if it was technically useless. It could sense Hollows and contact Soul Society, but both we're now obsolete, making it a waste of space.

They turned as Sora stepped inside with Donald and Goofy behind him.

"Oh, there you are Toshiro." Sora waved at him.

"That's Captain Hitsugaya, Sora." Toshiro reminded.

"Whoops, sorry." The brunette paused, seeming to think. "Ya know, I'm really glad you came here, Captain."

"Why's that?"

"Well, with the three of us, you, Riku and the King, this Organization XIII group doesn't stand a chance."

"Yeah!" Donald agreed. "All of us together will be able to stop them!"

Admiring their determination, Toshiro stepped aside so the fairies could speak with Sora. He didn't know how long it would take fairies to make new clothes, but he was sure it would be faster than if a human were to do it, considering these women had magic on their side. Either way, they needed to get moving so he hoped they were fast.

"Well look who's here, dears." The red fairy smiled. "Sora, Donald and Goofy!"

"Oh if you're looking for clothes you came to the right place." The blue one stepped forward.

"I'll do the designing." The green one called out.

Perhaps this would take a little longer than he'd first thought.

The red and blue fairy came over to Sora and pulled him away from the others to stand in front of the green one before they stood next to her. With a wave of her wand, the green one shot out a stream of light onto the clothes. Toshiro didn't think they looked any different except that now they were green.

"Oh, that will never do." The blue one argued and cast a blue light from her wand. Now the clothes were blue.

'_Never mind, this could take ages._' Toshiro grimaced as the red fairy changed the color to a light red, almost pink color.

He caught on to a faint trace of dark Spiritual Pressure and gazed around the room, trying to pinpoint it. Black caught his attention as what looked like a raven flew from the window and out to the sky, taking the dark presence with it. Was it some kind of bird Heartless? He would have thought any Heartless would have tried to get inside to attack, considering they acted on instinct. A Nobody then? Those always seemed to be white or gray in color, though. He didn't have enough information to know whether or not the raven was a danger.

"Aww," Sora groaned, catching his attention, "would you just decide?"

The three fairies gasped, slightly taken aback, before turning to each other and smiling once more. They chuckled a little and then turned back to Sora.

"All right, then." The red one said. "Together now, dears. And no more squabbling."

Together the three fairies waved their wands, their colored lights shooting out and hitting Sora in the chest all at once, a bright light enveloping him and smothering him from view. Donald and Goofy turned away and Toshiro squinted against the light.

Once it dulled it revealed Sora now wearing mostly black, thick yellow straps across the top of the pants to hold up large red pouches. The black jacket was short with a white outline and rested over top of a dark blue shirt with red pockets in the front. His gloves were black with white crisscrossed over it. The only thing that stayed the same was the silver crown necklace around his neck, much like the symbol Toshiro remembered drawing on the table in Twilight Town. How had he not noticed that before?

"He does look rather dashing." The blue fairy said with a grin.

The Kingdom Key came to Sora's hand, though apparently its appearance surprised Sora as well.

"Now those aren't ordinary garments." The red fairy explained.

"They have very special powers." The green fairy added on with a nod.

Waving her wand, the red fairy produced a small golden orb that hovered in front of Sora.

"Take the orb, dear." She said.

Cautiously, Sora reached out and grabbed onto the energy sphere. The energy transferred to Sora, adding to some sort of stored energy within the Keybearer that Toshiro couldn't quite figure out. It had appeared with the new clothes.

"And watch what happens." The blue fairy said excitedly.

The power in Sora increased and a light flashed over his clothes, lifting him up. A sphere of sorts was created around him before it burst and Sora's outfit had changed yet again. It was mostly red now with thick black outlines and a symbol along the arms and pant legs. What's more, he was holding a second Keyblade. This startled Sora as well as the others, looking at the violet Keyblade with golden stars, the teeth end curving around a golden crescent moon with a sharp pointed star inside it, the handle made of white wings.

Toshiro noticed that this form seemed to draw on Goofy's power, though what exactly that did for Sora he wasn't sure.

"Wow!" Donald gaped, amazed.

"Two Keyblades!" Goofy was gaping as well.

"Is that uncommon?" Toshiro questioned.

The animals nodded quickly before they turned back to the smiling fairies.

"This journey's gonna be twice as difficult as your last." The blue fairy stated, giggling as Sora slumped his shoulders.

"Your garments also have other powers, but you will have to discover what they are as you continue along your journey."

"Okay. I'll do my best." Sora stood straight, Keyblades at his sides. "Oh, what about how the Keyblade changes when Captain Hitsugaya touches it?"

"Pardon?"

Sora held the Kingdom Key out to Toshiro, his form cutting off and returning him to the single Keyblade with black clothes. The Soul Reaper followed along and held his hand to the Keyblade for a brief second before letting go. Sora now held Frozen Heavens in his hands and showed it to the fairies.

"See? When he touches the Keyblade, it changes." He explained.

"My, that is different." The red fairy mused. "We met a Soul Reaper before but he never had the chance to meet a Keybearer. We're not exactly sure how such a thing is possible."

"You should probably ask Yen Sid." Toshiro offered.

"Oh, by the way, Master Yen Sid has something else for you." The green fairy piped up.

"Oh boy!" Donald quacked, turning to Goofy, who smiled back in return.

"Thanks a lot!" Sora said to the fairies and left behind Donald and Goofy. Toshiro lingered a bit before heading out after them.

Back in the office they found Yen Sid standing at the window. Upon noticing them enter he gestured for them to approach, looking back out the window. There, a bright orange and yellow ship rose to window height, hovering a little ways away from the tower due to its size.

"Hey! It's the Gummi Ship!" Donald quacked excitedly and raced over with his companions, Toshiro preferring to walk over while examining the craft. He'd seen planes before…from a distance, and the ship did somewhat resemble one, albeit with very bright colors. Still, he had doubts about its ability to fly through space.

Well, the other three had done so already and were still alive and well, so he could assume it was safe.

"So, you guys ready to go?" Sora asked them all. Donald and Goofy nodded in return while Toshiro just shrugged, truthfully still unsure about the ship.

The trio jumped to attention in front of Yen Sid, startling Toshiro with the suddenness of it.

"Now, now. Just a moment." Yen Sid stopped them before they could bow. The trio relaxed their stance. "Because of your previous endeavors, the worlds have returned to their original states. That means the pathways between them have disappeared."

"You need pathways to travel through space?" Toshiro questioned.

"You do if you don't want to get lost." Sora replied. "And there's also only one way to get into a world. Otherwise it's blocked off."

"Precisely." Yen Sid nodded. "Now, if what the King suspected proves true, the worlds have prepared new pathways along which you may travel. These pathways may be utilized by unlocking special gates."

Sora glanced at his animal companions, even glancing briefly at Toshiro only to see the white haired Captain listening intently to the wizard.

"How these gates are opened, I'm afraid I do not know." Yen Sid continued, also glancing briefly at Toshiro. He only knew how to open one gate, and it was one that would take a lot of effort and teamwork. "However, the Keyblade will serve as your guide. When a beam of light radiates from the Keyblade, return to the Gummi Ship. Though the worlds may seem far apart and out of reach, they nonetheless remain connected by invisible ties. As do our hearts."

'_Invisible ties to our hearts, eh?_' Toshiro mused. '_Perhaps he has a point. During that time when Rukia Kuchiki was torn from our memories, we still held connections to those we thought we didn't know._'

'_**Just like how you still saw Ichigo Kurosaki as an ally when in your mind you were certain you'd never met him.**_' Hyorinmaru agreed.

"Got it!" Sora's voice brought him back to reality and Toshiro realized he'd missed part of the conversation, though very little.

"But be warned." Yen Sid's voice grew dark. "As you proceed, the Heartless and Nobodies will be using their own paths: corridors of darkness, to travel from world to world."

Toshiro briefly remembered the portals Axel used to get around, and how both creatures tended to appear out of shadows and nothing.

"They may be attempting to link these dark pathways to the gates between the worlds."

"Hey, that's not fair!" Donald scowled, planting a fist in his other hand…wing…whatever.

Yen Sid smiled briefly.

"Now then, that is all the information I can give you. Go forth, everyone is waiting."

The four all nodded and bowed

"We sure do appreciate the help." Goofy said and saluted, Donald close behind with Sora following along. Toshiro stuck with the bow as that was how he offered his respect to elders.

With that, they were off, back down the strange stairs and out of the tower. Pete was nowhere to be seen, thankfully, and the trio led Toshiro towards their ship.

"By the way, the Gummi Ship is kinda particular." Sora warned, though with a grin on his face.

Toshiro raised an eyebrow at him.

"See, you can't be all serious faced the whole time."

"Yeah, you've gotta have a smile on your face." Donald pitched in, Goofy nodding behind him.

"You're kidding, right?" Toshiro's brow twitched.

"Come on; give us your best smile."

"…No."

Donald put his wings on his hips.

"Well, you're gonna slow us down. Think of something happy and get that smile on or this journey will take ages!"

'_I'm going to hate this trip._' Toshiro growled, scowling when he heard Hyorinmaru laugh.

* * *

**He, I remember in the first Kingdom Hearts when Sora gives that smile...of course, Toshiro wouldn't be caught dead doing that. Still, it had to be said XD Time to head for Hollow Bastion! Enjoy!**


	19. Hollow Bastion: Arriving to Darkness

The inside of the ship seemed larger than the outside portrayed, and it was filled with controls that Toshiro didn't quite understand. Thankfully there was a fourth seat and he quickly took it, watching how Sora and the others strapped in before doing the same.

A screen flashed on and two chipmunks appeared on screen.

"Howdy, Sora!" One said, leaping up and waving. "How ya doin'?"

"Great, Dale!" Sora replied with a big grin. Donald and Goofy were grinning too but Toshiro kept his face passive.

"It's your favorite Gummi engineers here, ready for duty!" The other chipmunk shouted out, voice higher pitched. "Chip…"

"…and Dale!"

"Happy flying!" They shouted together and the screen cut out.

"Feels like I haven't seen those two in forever." Sora laughed before grabbing the controls. "Alright, let's get moving!"

The ship started up and Toshiro unwillingly clutched onto the arms of his seat tightly. Using Flash Step through the air and flying in Bankai was one thing, flying inside a ship just felt nauseating. The ship slowly lifted itself off of their current world, which turned out to be some alternate side of Twilight Town he noticed as they pulled out, and drifted into the nothingness of space. A map came up on screen showing where they were at, Twilight Town, and one other world.

Toshiro only hoped one of those many stars was his world.

"Only one?" Sora grumbled, smile faltering.

"That's no good." Donald sighed.

"Wait! I think it's a world we know." Goofy interjected.

Donald pulled up a larger version of the world, revealing another large town in its midst with a large castle.

"Hey…that does look familiar!" Sora beamed. "Come on, then!"

Toshiro hardly noticed the difference as Sora sped the ship up, traveling along a path invisible that could only be seen with the help of the ship's technology. The stars never seemed to move at all but lights whirled around them as they either got to close to the pathway wall, therefore close to being shot out into space, or if something tried to get through the thick barrier in. It seemed to be safe, however, as nothing interrupted their flight. Still, the sight was strangely exciting. No one at home would believe him when he got back.

Goofy dared a look back at the Soul Reaper and noticed Toshiro had a slight smile on his face as he watched the lights pass by the window. The dog grinned a little wider and faced front again to check his side in case anything was wrong.

"Alright, almost there." Sora reported. "With the Gummi Ship it only takes a minute or so to get where we need to."

"Convenient." Toshiro replied in his normal passive tone. The excitement was beginning to wear off already and his smile had vanished.

"So what do ya think?"

"Hm?

"About the ride, silly?" Sora laughed slightly.

Toshiro glared and Donald noticed the ship slow a slight bit, sighing.

"First time traveling by space…I'll admit, it was interesting." The Soul Reaper gave in.

The trio up front shared victorious expressions at that as they headed towards the next world.

As they entered the world's atmosphere the ship started to rock and bump again, causing Toshiro to grip onto the arms of the chair once more.

"Now this part I don't like." He muttered to himself.

With the skill of one who'd been flying for quite some time, Sora righted the ship out of its bumpy flight and landed gently amid a hidden area inside the town that seemed made just for Gummi Ships. Did all worlds have this? Toshiro doubted it, as the Soul Society definitely didn't.

To the trio's surprise, Toshiro was first off the ship. He wasn't used to flying in a ship yet and as such felt a little sick.

'_**It seems flying is going to take some getting used to.**_' Hyorinmaru grumbled.

'_I fly fine in Bankai, what's the difference with the ship?_' Toshiro sighed audibly and got over the queasy feeling in his stomach, waiting for Sora and the others to shut off the ship and join him.

'_**Flying in Bankai doesn't involve so much shaking.**_' The dragon replied irritably.

'_What's got you upset?_'

'_**Let's just say I prefer flying in Bankai over that ship as much as you do.**_'

"Okay, let's go!" Sora said happily as he and his companions joined back up with Toshiro and led the way outside.

Together the four companions walked out of the alley into the market part of the town. There were little shops situated around with different items for strengthening ones abilities and potions that did various things. Most of the citizens were people, but he spotted a grumpy looking duck working an ice place before he ran off and a small white creature with purple bat wings and big red nose, a gem dangling off its head by an antenna of sorts.

Sora ran over to the edge of the rock balcony and out to an old looking castle that seemed to be in a state of slow repair.

"It's Hollow Bastion!" Sora exclaimed before remembering something. He turned back to Toshiro, who looked surprised about his choice of words. "Not that kind of Hollow, I promise. It's the name of this world."

"I see." The Soul Reaper shrugged and started making his way down the steps to the market area.

"Gawrsh, it looks kinda different now." He heard Goofy say as he, Donald and Sora followed behind him.

"I hope Leon and the gang are doing okay." Donald wondered aloud.

"Leon?" Toshiro asked.

"Yeah, Squall Leonheart, but he likes to be called Leon. He and a couple of others were working on a way to fix the town up last I remember."

Nodding to show he'd heard, Toshiro continued walking.

He froze suddenly as he felt the dark Spiritual Pressure of a Heartless and grabbed his sword.

"Whoa, what's wrong?" Sora asked. He had yet to learn about Spiritual Pressure and how Toshiro could sense it.

"Heartless." He motioned onto the roofs where two of the armored Heartless he'd fought before ran before vanishing back into the darkness.

"How did you know?" Sora looked surprised.

"Explain later, it looks like we'll have to fight here."

Sora nodded and the four of them ran to the stairs at the far end. From there they traveled down to the housing section of the town and passed under an arch, Toshiro on alert for any Heartless. They paused in the clearing there to look around. Toshiro could sense the creatures popping in and out of the darkness around town, and he thought he felt a rather large darkness in the direction of the castle but couldn't be sure.

A light appeared in the air, a small white circle, and startled all of them. Toshiro drew his blade, watching as the circle moved downward with a strange sound and made a small mechanical sphere.

"Hey, what's going on?" Donald questioned, jumping back as one got too close to him for comfort.

Unable to answer, Toshiro kept a close eye as one would pop up then fade away, completely invisible. They didn't have any Spiritual Pressure so they must have been robots of a sort, but what exactly were they doing?

"That's the town's defense mechanism." A female voice said and the trio behind Toshiro jumped in surprise, turning to the voice. Their Soul Reaper companion decided the robots weren't a threat and looked at the new arrival he had sensed approaching earlier.

She had short black hair and wore a band around her head above brown eyes. Her outfit was rather revealing with short tan shorts and a black shirt that showed her stomach, a short tan jacket over that. Her lower arms had bands and she had tall boots.

"Yuffie!" Sore exclaimed, waving happily at the woman.

Just as she waved back, Toshiro sensed the approach of a Nobody and turned quickly, slicing through the Dusk before it could attack Sora.

"Whoa!" Sora jumped in surprise, summoning his Keyblade. As if on cue, several more Dusks appeared to hinder them. "Hey Captain, can I try Frozen Heavens?"

"Fine, here." Toshiro held his left hand out onto the Keyblade, watching the Nobodies in case they made a move.

One leaped and he let go of the Keyblade, noting that Sora had a good four and a half minutes to use the ice Keyblade before it returned to normal, slicing down the Nobody who had leaped.

"While we're experimenting let me teach you something." Toshiro stepped closer to Sora. "Do you remember my zanpaktou's name?"

"Yeah, Hyorinmaru."

"Do you remember the ice dragon you saw in Twilight Town?"

"Yeah." Their conversation paused as they fought off three Nobodies getting too close. "Why?"

"Picture that dragon in your mind." Toshiro instructed, just like he had with Roxas several days ago. "When you slash the air with the Keyblade, say my zanpaktou's name. If it works, you should be able to create an ice dragon."

"Got it!" Sora turned to his animal friends. "Donald, Goofy, back up for a minute."

They did as he asked, though hesitantly, and Toshiro Flash Stepped up next to Yuffie. She jumped in surprise at his sudden appearance, taking the chance to get a better look at him.

"Okay." Sora lifted Frozen Heavens above his head. The remaining Nobodies were in front of him, though two appeared behind him without his knowledge. "Hyorinmaru!"

As he slashed downward, he silently prayed that it worked.

A white dragon of ice and water shot from the icy slash created by the Keyblade, smaller than the one Toshiro had summoned, and snapped its jaws around the Nobodies in front of it. Ice spiked up, destroying all of the creatures. Toshiro noticed with interest that the Nobodies vanished into the same spirit particles they did when killed by his zanpaktou instead of the splash of white and black Sora normally created when they died. He needed to watch for that later.

"Direct it behind you, Sora!" Toshiro ordered.

Sora swung the Keyblade behind and the dragon reappeared from the ice spikes, curling around the boy as it followed his blade's movements and smashing into the ambushing Dusks. With that, the Nobodies were defeated.

"Awesome!" Sora shouted.

With the battle over, Toshiro leapt back down and hit the hilt of his zanpaktou against the ice left behind by Sora's dragon. The real Hyorinmaru's power forced the ice to shatter into dust and become an icy mist that soon vanished.

"You'll need to learn how to get rid of the ice by yourself as well." He told Sora as Donald and Goofy rejoined them, surprise on their faces.

"Wow, Sora!" Yuffie also joined them. "Where did you get such a strong Keyblade?"

"Oh, it's temporary." Sora replied. "The longer the Captain holds onto it, the longer it can stay like this."

"Captain?" Yuffie turned to Toshiro, disbelieving.

"Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya." Toshiro introduced himself.

"Yuffie Kisaragi." The ninja said in turn. "Guess you're a pretty tough kid, but I can relate, I'm not too shabby myself. You too, Sora, I see you're still in top form."

Toshiro's brow twitched at being called a kid and the temperature, which had slowly risen after the ice was broken away, dropped again.

"What did ya expect?" Sora grinned, putting a fist to his chest. "Looks like you're doing okay."

"Well what did YOU expect?" Yuffie laughed.

"How are the others?" Donald questioned.

"Great!"

"I hate to ruin the mood but there are still plenty of Heartless and Nobodies around." Toshiro cut in.

"Ah, one moment Captain." Sora held his hands up. "Yuffie, have you seen the King and Riku?"

"Nope." The ninja replied and began to walk away. "But I had a feeling I'd see you guys again!"

Though Sora had slumped at Yuffie's reply, he quickly became cheerful again and raised his hand, bending the pinky down as he spoke in a mock deep voice.

"We may never meet again, but we'll never forget each other." He said.

"Was that supposed to be Leon?" Yuffie giggled.

"Sora…" Toshiro warned.

"Right, Heartless."

"When you're done with that, Sora, everybody's working on stuff over at Merlin's house." Yuffie said before running off down the alley.

The Keybearer looked hopefully at Toshiro. Noticing this, the Soul Reaper sighed heavily.

"I suppose the Heartless aren't that bad, and those…security bots are protecting the people, it seems."

"Alright! Now you can meet Leon and the gang."

"If I must."

The four of them continued down the alley where Yuffie had run off too, Toshiro keeping a close eye out for Heartless, monitoring their movements. He hoped this visit was quick, but he didn't get his hopes up too high.

* * *

**Meh, I really don't have much to say here...get to meet Leon in the next chapter, Sora starts learning to use the ice dragons...yeah...Enjoy!**


	20. Hollow Bastion: Restoration Committee

"Oh yeah, I wanted to ask about how you knew those Heartless were there." Sora spoke up after a moment.

"Yes, I remember." Toshiro gave a light sigh; he'd been hoping to avoid the question for a later date. "When training at the Shinou Academy to become a Soul Reaper we're taught to sense something called Spiritual Pressure. Every living creature has a Spiritual Energy of some kind, and the more powerful they are, the stronger their Spiritual Pressure."

"You said Spiritual Pressure was the power of a Soul Reaper, right?" Sora questioned.

"Any living being has it, it's just more noticeable when in use."

"In use?"

Toshiro let his own power flare for a brief moment and Sora gasped as the wind was knocked out of him. Donald and Goofy nearly fell over from the sudden force. The Soul Reaper stopped so they could take a moment to recover, looking a little sheepish. Perhaps he'd let out too much at once.

"Oh, that…" Sora coughed, trying to get his breath back. "Right, forgot."

"Sorry, I thought it best to demonstrate."

"Nah, it's okay. Anyway, so you can sense the Spiritual Pressure of the Heartless?"

"Yes. To be honest, it's not all that different from what the Spiritual Pressure of an average Hollow feels like. Each individual has separate Spiritual Pressures and I can recognize those of my fellow Captains, their Lieutenants and most of my squad. For Hollows, though, we just focus on recognizing the basic feeling of their Spiritual Pressure to find and kill it. The Heartless have a much darker Spiritual Pressure than Hollows, which I suspect is due to them being formed from the darkness in people's hearts."

"Probably." Sora shrugged. "But that's a pretty neat technique, now we'll never be ambushed."

Toshiro smirked slightly as Sora laughed at his comment, deciding not to ruin the mood by explaining that when the Heartless hid in shadows he could not sense them.

"What about Nobodies, then?" Donald asked.

"They're a little harder." Toshiro admitted. "Since they're just the shell left behind when a person becomes a Heartless, they feel mostly empty. I almost mistook one for a normal soul nearing the point of becoming a Hollow, as that's what it feels like to me, before I remembered there aren't souls here. They're also hidden far better than the Heartless due to that empty feeling."

"But you can still sense them, right?" Goofy spoke.

"Yes. Don't worry, I'll let you all know if one is coming."

By now they had reached Merlin's place, or so Sora had said, and no Heartless had approached them. Toshiro was sure they would have been drawn to his Spiritual Pressure just then. Then again, they weren't Hollows, and they were after hearts, not souls. The two were closely tied, though.

Sora pushed the door open and stepped inside with his three companions close behind. Donald and Goofy flanked the Keybearer while Toshiro hung back a little, glancing outside cautiously before stepping over to the side of the door instead and waiting. Sora's friends would surely want to greet him first before noticing the newcomer by the door.

Three people sat around a large computer, backs to the door. A blonde man in a white shirt and blue pants was typing away rapidly on it. To his right was a taller man with long brown hair and wearing all black with red belts around his waist and a fluffy white collar on his jacket. The girl to the blonde's left had braided brown hair down to her waist in a pink bow, matching her long pink dress.

Yuffie, realizing Sora had decided to come here first rather than fight Heartless, was the first to jump up.

"Meet the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee." She said excitedly. At her voice, the other three turned around.

"We missed you!" The girl in pink said in a soft tone.

"Well if you aint in top shape." The blonde man snickered, part of his mouth holding tightly to a stick. Replacement for cigarettes?

Smiling, Sora approached the three, glad to meet them again.

"I knew it." The brown haired man said suddenly, arms crossed.

"Knew what?" Sora questioned, smile fading as confusion took over.

"A while back, everyone suddenly remembered you guys, all at the same time."

Toshiro blinked in surprise. He remembered something Naminé said about Sora's memories being lost. Had that affected those who knew him too? No wonder they needed Roxas to return to Sora.

"Wait!" He heard Sora shout, hurt. "Does that mean you forgot about us?"

"So where have you guys been all this time?" Yuffie asked, obviously trying to get away from that little detail.

"We were sleepin'." Goofy explained, though even he looked skeptical.

"Where? In cold storage?" The blonde man asked sarcastically.

Toshiro snorted at that, as it was fairly accurate considering where Sora was, and attention turned to him standing by the door. Whoops.

"Who the Hell is that?" The blonde asked.

"Oh, right." Sora waved Toshiro over and the Soul Reaper hesitantly stepped over to the group. "This is Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya. Captain, this is Aerith," The girl in pink, "Cid," The blonde, "and Leon." The brown haired man.

"Pleased to meet you all." Toshiro said, bowing slightly as was normal for meeting new people in his world. They looked a little surprised at his gesture.

"Captain, eh? Of what?" Cid looked interested.

Keeping silent as his way of saying it was none of their business, Toshiro was instead about to ask a question when Sora cut in.

"He's a Soul Reaper from a world called the Soul Society." Toshiro turned on him with a glare but the brunette continued. "We're trying to get him back home." It was then Sora noticed the cooling temperature and looked at Toshiro. "What?"

"I was willing to share information on who and what I was with you considering you need it to find the Soul Society, but I had not intended on telling such things to everyone on every world." The Soul Reaper growled.

"Oh…sorry. But you can trust these guys! They know all about other worlds and the Keyblade and all that. They're helping the King out."

"Never heard of Soul Reapers though." Leon mused aloud, the others in the committee nodding in agreement.

"And I don't plan on explaining." Hitsugaya snapped.

"And here I thought you were polite." Cid grumbled. The temperature dropped more. "If it's you doin' that quite it! You'll mess up the claymore system! Ya know, the one helpin' the town out and all that."

Toshiro reluctantly reigned in his power to let the temperature return to normal but quickly walked away instead, returning to his position by the door.

'_**Sora says they can be trusted.**_' Hyorinmaru remarked.

'_That doesn't mean I will. Some of the things I told Sora I shouldn't have, but I need his trust to get home as quickly as possible. It does not mean he can tell everyone who asks._'

'_**Have him swear not to. Surely he understands enough of your power to know not to cross you.**_'

Toshiro smirked slightly at that, looking back at Sora.

'_Once he's done I probably will, and the animals too. If I must I'll have the committee members swear it as well._'

'_**They'll only do so if you allow them information.**_'

'_A little at a time…they don't need to know as much._'

Tuning back into the conversation, Toshiro saw Cid stand up and walk towards Sora, causing the brunette to step back nervously.

"Don't go thankin' us just yet." The blonde warned.

"Hollow Bastion's got a problem. A big problem." Leon said gravely.

"You mean like Nobodies and Heartless?" The Keybearer questioned in a serious tone.

"That's right." Yuffie sighed dramatically.

Sora turned to the ninja and Cid finally backed off. Having calmed down, Toshiro stepped a bit closer so as to be part of the conversation.

"Sounds like you could use our help." The Keybearer offered.

"Then let's cut to the chase." Leon said, also stepping closer. "Sora, Donald, Goofy, we were hoping you could give us a hand around here. The Captain can help if he wants."

"I will." Toshiro replied to that. "Seeing as Sora already blurted out what I am, I' more willing to give out information. I've already had experience fighting creatures similar to the Heartless and am fully prepared to fight the Heartless themselves as well."

"Thank you very much, Toshiro." Aerith smiled gently.

"I prefer to be called Captain Hitsugaya. On my world you don't call someone by their first names unless your good friends and they give you permission."

"Alright then, Captain."

"You know I'm in!" Sora cut in.

Nodding, Leon walked past them and to the door, turning back to glance at the four going with him.

"Follow me to the bailey, there's something you four need to see."

Toshiro was already following after him when a puff of white smoke appeared before him. Startled, Toshiro backed away only to run into Sora. The two boys looked to see who had caused the surprise and saw an aging wizard in blue robes and blue house shoes with a long white beard. He had a long stick in his hand and round glasses in front of his eyes.

"Oh! I thought it was you!" The wizard exclaimed, glancing at Sora as the Keybearer righted himself and stood next to Toshiro. "Right on time."

"It's Merlin!" Donald said happily as he and Goofy stood on either side of Toshiro and Sora.

"I would refrain from doing that in the future." Toshiro grumbled, dusting himself off.

"My apologies Soul Reaper." Merlin noticed Toshiro glance at him cautiously. "I was one of the few who met the last Soul Reaper to be dragged away from Soul Society along with Yen Sid and another man…hm…can't seem to recall his name. Anyway, no need to be alarmed, I wish no secrets from you. I'm here for Sora."

"Wait, you're not the first Soul Reaper to get dragged away?" Sora turned to the white haired Captain.

"Apparently not. The last one was a few decades ago, so Yen Sid told me, and he also happened to be from my squad when I was just a third seat."

"Oh, does that make you The Toshiro Hitsugaya, prodigy of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads?" Merlin seemed interested.

"Yes, that's me."

"Wow, you're famous." Sora grinned.

A sad expression came over Toshiro's face before he returned to his cold disposition and motioned for Merlin to go on with what he was doing, not wanting to explain how he was truly more Infamous then Famous as the freak of the Rukongai. Being a prodigy only seemed to make it worse, but with him as Captain no one ever said anything.

"Right, yes, of course." Merlin cleared his throat and turned back to Sora. "Oh, did you give them the cards dear?" This he directed at Aerith.

She put her hands to her mouth in surprise about forgetting before reaching into a pocket in her dress. There she pulled out three cards and handed one each to Sora, Donald and Goofy.

"They're presents for you. Leon thought you might like to have them." She said with a sweet smile. "Sorry we don't have one for you, Captain."

"It's fine."

The trio looked at the cards in confusion before reading the words on the back, Sora doing so out loud.

"Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee Honorary Member!" A smile quickly grew on the brunette's face. He turned. "Thanks Leo… uh."

"He's heading to the bailey." Toshiro reminded.

"Crap, that's right!" Sora stuffed the card into a pocket and was about to take off.

"Just a moment Sora." Merlin stopped them. "What about your magic?"

"Er…I guess…I forgot it while I was asleep…" He laughed nervously.

"Now, what am I to do with you?" Merlin sighed, amused. "I suppose I can lend you a few spells but use them carefully."

"Thanks, Merlin!" Sora stood still and summoned his Keyblade, which had reverted back to normal by now, and Merlin waved his wand at it.

"Since Captain Hitsugaya uses powerful ice attacks with his zanpaktou, if I remember correctly," Toshiro nodded his consent, "I've given you Fire to start with instead of Blizzard."

"To the bailey!" Donald quacked and bolted out the door.

The other three weren't far behind, Toshiro slowing a bit so they could lead him through the town as he had no idea where he was going.

Back in Merlin's house, Yuffie, Aerith, and Cid approached the wizard.

"So you know what he is, right?" Cid questioned.

"Correct." Merlin replied. "However, I made a promise to the last Soul Reaper kidnapped from his world that I would not reveal any top secret information. Which, I may add, is almost everything."

"Dammit…"

* * *

**Hm, watch yourself, Merlin. Appearing out of nowhere in front of a Soul Reaper isn't a good idea, lol. Anyway, Sora gets a lesson on Spirit Energy and Toshiro meets the Restoration Committee. They also learn that Merlin was one of the three people to meet the last Soul Reaper to be taken from the Soul Society along with Yen Sid and Diz...actually, make that four because Mickey sort of met him for a little bit. Right, Organization XIII shows up in the next chapter and there's a slight hint about who the Soul Reaper is through them, because they know about him too. Enjoy!**


	21. Hollow Bastion: Organization XIII

Once the group of four made it to the bailey, Toshiro took lead towards Leon's Spiritual Pressure and found the brunette leaning against the wall. He was looking towards the castle, though more specifically at the ground around it.

"Look at that." He pointed out.

Doing that, Toshiro noticed that the ground in the canyon below the castle seemed to be black in color…and moving. Teal eyes widened as he realized that the entirety of the blue rock floor was flooded with Heartless, an enormous circle extending all the way around the castle.

'_How are there so many Heartless in one place!?_' Though he kept his outer façade expressionless he was thinking frantically on the inside. That many Heartless could kill everyone in town, Claymore system or no. It was a literal flood of shadows pushing past each other and surrounding the castle.

"We want to restore Hollow Bastion to what it used to be." Leon explained. "Who knows, perhaps even something better. There's still a lot to do and I'm sure we can handle everything."

"Except for that." Toshiro pointed out. '_Even in Bankai it would take ages to clear out all these Heartless. Heck, even with the Limiter removed it would take ages!_'

'_**Calm down, Master, they seem to be confined to the canyon for now.**_' Hyorinmaru soothed.

'_For now…_'

"…and that." Leon pointed something else out.

Following his arm, Toshiro spotted several Nobodies heading towards the mass of Heartless.

'_Either they're going to fight or work together…I really hope it's the former._'

'_**As do I. Something like that would keep them off the town for some time.**_'

"We'll handle 'em." Sora said confidently and Toshiro gave him an 'are you insane?' glare. "Come on, Captain. You've got Hyorinmaru!"

"Hyorinmaru?" Leon questioned.

"My zanpaktou." Toshiro briefly put his hand on the hilt of said blade.

"It shoots out this ice dragon when he summons it and he can control the weather." Sora explained. Remembering what happened last time he blurted out he looked at Toshiro apologetically.

"Honestly, you should learn restraint." Toshiro deadpanned. "But Sora's right, Hyorinmaru would do a lot of damage to their numbers. But even I would have a hard time killing all of them."

"That's why we'll all help!" Donald quacked.

"That's good to hear." Leon said, smiling slightly. "So, do you all know what's going on then?"

As Sora explained about the Nobodies and the organization controlling them, Toshiro sensed a strange Spiritual Pressure outside the bailey. Making sure not to distract the others, he walked over to the open exit that led to a set of stairs; where they went he didn't know. The Spiritual Pressure he was sensing was muffled by something, almost nonexistent. Much like Axel's and Ansem's Spiritual Pressure.

He froze as realization struck him.

"Sora!" He shouted out

The Keybearer jumped in alarm, looking at Toshiro only to see the Soul Reaper on high alert, Hyorinmaru drawn.

"It's them." The ice Captain said just as several laughs echoed throughout the path.

"You're doing well." A voice said from the shadows.

"Who's that?!" Sora demanded, summoning his Keyblade and standing next to Toshiro.

"Allying with the prodigy, eh?" One of the voices sneered. From that context, Toshiro realized with dread that one of the Organization XIII members was the former Soul Reaper who had fallen to darkness. This would not be good. Hopefully he wasn't a high ranking seated officer; he couldn't recall which one would have vanished, for there were always many disappearances as well as deaths, he couldn't keep up with who vanished or who died.

"Show yourself." Toshiro demanded, wanting to know which one was the Soul Reaper.

"From Third Seat to Captain and you double in bossiness." The voice who'd spouted about him being a prodigy snickered.

"Another Soul Reaper?" A deep voice took over. "This calls for a celebration."

Several Dusks appeared and Donald and Goofy both ran after them. Sora was about to as well when Toshiro sensed several more heading towards the gates that led into town. They danced their way past Leon, a strange looking sword in his hands, and were about to head through. Grabbing Sora's attention the two of them ran in to assist Leon. Toshiro cast a Kido barrier under his breath over the gates, which were closing on their own due to some defense mechanism, and when one of the Nobodies rushed in to attack it back open, the barrier propelled it backwards into Toshiro's waiting blade.

"We can't let them get through, the barrier will only hold for so long and I doubt the gates can last forever." Toshiro warned the two brunettes by his side as they stood in front of the gates, multiple Nobodies in front of them.

"Right." Sora nodded "Wait, barrier?"

"I'll explain after we kill them off."

To his right, Leon used a spell to light his blade aflame. Toshiro winced at the heat and jumped forward first to put some distance between himself and the flame blade, killing two Nobodies. He brought the chain-blade to hand and threw it at another one, a new Nobody he hadn't seen before. It had two blades at its back that it attempted to draw before being wrapped in the chain and had a fairly samurai like persona. Once it was frozen, Toshiro quickly broke through it with a tug and moved on, Sora coming up behind him and fighting off two Nobodies attempting to attack the Captain from behind.

A fireball slammed into one of the Nobodies Toshiro was about to head for, dealing heavy damage, and Toshiro used a low powered Kido shot to finish it. He supposed the fire was from Leon.

"I think we got 'em!" Sora shouted as he destroyed the last Nobody.

Toshiro paused and closed his eyes, reaching out for any empty Spiritual Pressures of the Nobodies.

"Seems like it." He opened his eyes again and headed back out to where Donald and Goofy had run off to. "But the ones who sent them are still here."

"He's always been perceptive." The voice, who Toshiro assumed to be the Soul Reaper, said with a laugh.

"It doesn't matter." The deep voice spoke. "The Keyblade…a truly marvelous weapon. Were it only in more…capable hands."

More laughing. Sora scowled as he tried to find out where the voices were coming from.

"Show yourself!" He shouted.

A dark portal opened on the ledge above them, revealing a man in the Organization XIII garb with his hood up. He lifted his arms and five other figures appeared, clad in the same uniform. Now that they had showed themselves in front of them, Toshiro attempted to track down which one was the Soul Reaper. They all had the empty feeling of a Nobody, muffled by some unknown force, but there should still be a lingering trace of the Soul Reaper power within him.

He was saved the trouble as one of the members waved at him and let his power rise just enough that Toshiro could sense his remaining Soul Reaper power. Even with that, though, he could not recognize the man as one of his own squad, not until he revealed his face.

"Organization XIII!" Goofy exclaimed as he and Donald rejoined them with minimal injuries.

"Good! Now we can settle this!" Sora held his Keyblade at the ready.

"Don't be-" Toshiro began to warn when the one who had summoned the others, the owner of the deep voice, spoke over him.

"What a shame." He sighed. "And here I thought we could be friends."

Teal eyes narrowed as the ice Captain began to memorize each of their Spiritual Pressures. Since their powers were muffled yet still strong enough to fight Sora equally one on one, he could assume they were all frighteningly powerful. And there was no telling what the former Soul Reaper could do since he had no memory of him. Putting Hyorinmaru out in front of him, Toshiro let his power rise. Dark clouds began to form in the sky.

"Uh-oh, time to go." The former Soul Reaper said to their supposed leader.

"Yes, I see that." He replied.

The six of them vanished into their dark portals, to Toshiro's extreme dislike, and the ice Captain quickly reined in his power. The others were starting to have trouble breathing.

"Stop!" Donald shouted and headed off towards the stairs.

"Donald, hold it!" Toshiro ordered and Flash Stepped in front of the duck as one of the members returned to bar their path. It wasn't the Soul Reaper but he still had quite a bit of power.

"Hey there, weather kid." The Nobody said with a teasing voice.

"Shall I kill you first or will you let me pass?" Toshiro snapped back, cold seeping into the air around them.

"Now, do you think that's polite? Shutting me down like that."

"I tend not to extend my manners towards those I'm going to kill."

"Careful there, sounds like the darkness could take hold any minute."

"The darkness won't take me, otherwise you'd already be dead. I'm giving you a chance to step aside."

"As if! You can talk all you want, but that won't change a thing."

"Then I suppose I'll have to force you to move." Toshiro leaped forward before the man in black could say anything more.

Startled, the man vanished into a portal of darkness before appearing a few feet further down.

"Way of Binding Number Nine, Strike!" Hitsugaya chanted while drawing a symbol in the air with his finger. A red light then emanated from his body.

The man in black was about to summon something when he was suddenly enveloped in the red light and then paralyzed.

"What the-?"

Toshiro Flash Stepped over to him and held his blade to the man's throat.

"Since I have you here I want answers." Toshiro scowled at him. "What do you want with Sora?"

"And here I thought you were gonna ask about our Soul Reaper ally." The man snickered. "He'll be telling us all about you."

"You won't get to hear a thing." Toshiro pressed his blade closer and ice began to spread along the man's cloak. He heard the Nobody growl.

"Guess I need to show you how tough the crowd you're dealing with is."

"Enlighten me. If you can escape the Kido."

"Sure thing."

A dark portal appeared underneath the man and Toshiro's eyes widened. He attempted to kill the Nobody before he escaped but the man was swallowed by the darkness and his blade pushed back by it before he could do so. He had escaped.

"Dammit." Toshiro growled, hearing the others run over to him.

"He still got away." Leon scowled.

"Yes. But I think he'll have a hard time escaping that Kido bind." Sheathing Hyorinmaru as the Nobodies' presence faded, Toshiro turned to the other four with him. "We should probably see to those Heartless now."

"Right." Sora nodded before seeming to remember something. "Hey Leon, thanks for the membership cards."

To prove what he was talking about, Sora pulled out the purple card and showed it to the brunette.

Light began to shine from the card and Sora let go of it in surprise, the card remaining in the air. It floated upwards with everyone in the group staring at it in confusion, a few of them gasping in surprise. Another light shined and attention turned to Sora's Keyblade.

"The Keyblade will be your guide." Toshiro repeated what Yen Sid had told them not long ago.

"Oh!" Understanding, Sora held the Keyblade out in front of him while the others backed away.

The two lights resonated and a large crown symbol was created underneath Sora made of swirling lights.

'_**Can you feel that power?**_' Hyorinmaru questioned, shuddering as the Spirit Energy of an unknown force flowed into Sora through the Keyblade and up towards the item.

'_This is the power to unlock gates between worlds._' Toshiro watched as a wind rose up around Sora, surrounding him in light '_Somehow we have to amplify it with our own power to open the path to Soul Society. If I could release the limiter it wouldn't be a problem, but with it I'll wear myself down trying to give him enough power for such a thing._'

'_**The fairies will find a way to contact Soul Society, be patient.**_'

Twisting the Keyblade, Sora jumped back and pointed the end at a keyhole created by the light from the membership card. Light shot from the end and into the keyhole, making a sound similar to that of a door unlocking, and light radiated from inside.

When the light died down, everything was back to normal and the card dropped to the ground. Sora picked it up before turning to Leon.

"Sorry Leon, but other worlds are calling." Sora said to him.

Nodding in understanding, Leon instead thought of something else.

"Organization XIII…They look tough. Be careful out there."

"See ya! Come on guys!" Sora darted off back towards the Gummi Ship.

"I guess we're fighting Heartless another time." Toshiro sighed.

"We can keep them at bay for a few days, don't worry." Leon assured.

Toshiro nodded and used Flash Step to catch back up with Sora and the gang.

* * *

**Anyone wanna make a guess as to which member it is? Eh? Eh? Come on now let me here them XD**

**Pretty straight forward chapter, not much to say. Enjoy!**


	22. Land of Dragons: Chinese Terrors

Once back in the Gummi Ship and starting to take off, Donald pulled up the map to see which pathway they had opened. The pathway split off to two different worlds, which surprised Toshiro. He expected that they would have to open up each world one by one.

"Hey! What happened to Twilight Town!?" Chip's voice echoed into the ship.

Pulling up a visual of said world they found it cloaked in darkness.

"It's gone!" Dale exclaimed.

"That's not good." Sora frowned, hoping Hayner and the others were okay. "Well, when it comes back let us know and we'll go check it out."

"Got it, Sora!"

Donald picked one of the two new worlds randomly and opened up a closer view of it over the darkness cloaked Twilight Town. It held a large empire within it that looked faintly Chinese and Toshiro grimaced. He would not be treated kindly there in his obvious Japanese garb, for the style of the castle looked to be around the same time that the Chinese and Japanese hated each other. Well, it was a different world; perhaps they wouldn't know Japanese here.

"Land of Dragons." Donald read the world's name aloud and Toshiro perked up for a moment. "Hm, wonder what's there."

"Gawrsh, looks like we're gonna pass through an asteroid field first." Goofy pointed ahead where Sora was following the path through a dense field of comets.

"And I'm sure there are Heartless ships." Sora sighed. "Got the guns, you guys?"

"We're on it!" Donald saluted and grabbed onto a set of control, as did Goofy.

"Oh great." Toshiro groaned and held tight to his seat.

"Sorry Captain, this is gonna be bumpy." Sora called back and Toshiro frowned further. "We've got to get the Heartless off the path before we can travel between worlds safely."

True to his word, the flight was terribly shaky, but with Sora's flying skills and the animals' good aiming, they managed to clear out the Heartless and make it through with barely a scratch. The same couldn't be said for Toshiro as he held his head, the familiar feeling of a migraine beginning to surface. He nearly shouted in relief as the world came into view and Sora drove in to land in a secluded area where no one would find the ship. He was once more the first off the ship to settle his stomach while the trio shut down the Gummi Ship.

'_No more…_' The ice Captain inwardly groaned. '_Let this mission be long enough so I can get over this migraine._'

'_**Only to get another one?**_' Hyorinmaru asked.

'_Shut up._'

Once able to take in his surroundings, Toshiro realized they were in a bamboo forest. He could sense two people up ahead along the pathway they were heading down. Sure that Sora would follow the same path, Toshiro went ahead and began walking down to see who it was that was so close by. He could tell one was definitely a person, but the other was not. It was somewhat strong but not by much.

'_**I think the second being is a young dragon.**_' Hyorinmaru suggested.

'_How would you know that?_' Toshiro questioned before kneeling behind a boulder and looking into the clearing.

'_**Because I'm a dragon.**_'

Toshiro rolled his eyes and examined the two inside the clearing. The human was a young man by the looks of it…no, wait, it was definitely a woman. She was dressed as a man, though, and made a rather convincing one to those who didn't pay attention. Her hair was in a tight top knot to make it look short and she wore traditional Chinese armor with a green sash around the middle. As for the dragon…all he could see was a large, red-eyed shadow.

"Admit it, you're just scared." The dragon teased the woman.

"Aren't you?" She replied.

Toshiro decided they were friendly enough and stepped into the clearing.

"Excuse me." He called out for their attention.

The shadow of the dragon vanished as a small red dragon leaped onto the woman's shoulder and hid.

'_**Definitely a young dragon…**_' Hyorinmaru stated.

"Oh who-" The woman began to ask before clearing her throat and making it deeper. "Who are you?"

"I know you're a woman, cut the act." Toshiro sighed. "I guess here they don't allow women into the army?"

"Is there somewhere where they do?" The woman had returned to her normal voice.

"My wo…er, country, does. In fact, one of my subordinates is a woman."

"Subordinates?" The red dragon popped up on the woman's shoulder. "How old do you think you are, kid?"

"Probably older than you." Toshiro snapped.

"Oh yeah? I'm a bona fide guardian so while I'm little I'm ancient."

"Same."

"Ha! You've got nothing on me, kid!"

"Mushu." The woman hissed at the tiny red dragon.

"Oh come on, Mulan, he's tiny! Not to mention he's got some weird hair color going on there."

"I'm not tiny! And it's naturally white!" Toshiro growled as the air began to drop in temperature significantly.

"Uh-huh." Mushu looked skeptical.

The woman sighed heavily at the dragon's consistent teasing. She looked the boy over closely and realized something.

"Those garments…" She saw the boy stiffen. "Are you, perhaps…Japanese?"

"What!? You've gotta be kidding me!" Mushu exclaimed. "Just what we need, with Shan Yu running around."

"I'm not here to cause any trouble, I just-"

"Is that Mushu?" Goofy's voice came behind him and Toshiro sighed.

Sora and company stepped up next to their Soul Reaper companion, to Mushu's shock, and officially became part of the conversation.

"Hey Mushu!" Sora greeted.

"Sora! Donald! Goofy!" The red dragon beamed and leaped off of Mulan's shoulders to the ground.

"You know them?" Mulan questioned.

"Know them? Man, we used to kick all kinds of bad guy butt together."

"I'll believe that when I see it." Toshiro snorted.

Turning angrily to the white haired Captain, Mushu was about to snap something when he felt a strong presence coming from the boy that he'd failed to pick up earlier.

"Oh, right." Sora realized the dragon didn't know their new companion. "Mushu, this is Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya. We're trying to get him back to his home." Toshiro was surprised how easily Sora was able to cover up the identity of other worlds. Perhaps he was smarter than he made himself look.

"Hm…you aint human, are ya?" Mushu narrowed his eyes. Toshiro glared back in warning and the dragon noticed. "Meh, but what do I know? Anyway, I've helped Sora and his pals here out of a lot of tight spots. 'Cause I'm a mighty dragon, right?"

'_**And I'm made of fire.**_' Hyorinmaru snorted.

'_He's obviously got an ego bigger than he is, it's a bad idea to argue with him._'

'_**Your pride has already done that.**_'

Sighing mentally, Toshiro turned back as Mulan glanced cautiously at the four of them.

"Something like that." Sora smirked at Mushu's earlier comment. "So, who are you?"

"I'm Mulan…no, wait I-I mean." Mulan panicked as she realized she'd messed up again at hiding her identity as a woman.

"Too late." Toshiro said. "There's no hiding that you're a girl."

"Wait, you're a girl!?" Sora exclaimed and Toshiro looked at him in surprise. He didn't know?

"Well…perhaps you could have continued on with the charade then." He turned back to Mulan.

The woman laughed lightly at that.

"You didn't notice?" She asked Sora.

"Eh, he'll believe anything." Mushu waved her off; Sora scowled at him. "But listen up you four, Mulan's trying to get into the army so she'll be going as Ping, got it? Girls aren't allowed into the army."

"That sucks." Sora crossed his arms.

"It's the way certain countries work, Sora." Toshiro reminded. "So, where are we heading, then?"

"Hold up, Japanese kid." Mushu singled out the Soul Reaper. "If Mulan gets seen with you she'll be turned around at the gates."

"I'll come behind you all, then. I'm a prodigy in my country, so thinking up a solution won't be a problem."

"Before we go, Mulan…er, Ping." Sora corrected himself quickly to get used to calling her that. "How do you know Mushu?"

"He's one of my family guardians." Mulan replied with a slight smile.

"Wow, we didn't know we were borrowin' anyone as important as a family guardian." Goofy replied in awe.

"That's right, which puts you three up to your eyeballs in debt to 'Ping' here. Now come on, let's get a move on! Lag behind, Toshiro."

"That's Captain Hitsugaya, dragon." Toshiro growled back.

As they began to walk off, Toshiro stopped Sora for a moment.

"What did Goofy mean by borrowing?" He questioned.

"Oh! On our last journey we were able to summon other people to help us, since they didn't have a world anymore and were trapped in a crystal. When we brought peace to the worlds after defeating Ansem they went back home. Mushu was one of them."

"Now I understand what he means. Go on, catch back up. I'll join you all shortly if I have to dress like one of them to get in."

"Be careful, Captain." The Keybearer ran to catch back up with his companions.

He waited until they were a good quarter mile away before following their path at a slow pace to keep distance between them. When they turned a corner and were out of sight he followed the traces of their Spirit Energy to keep him on the right track.

'_**So what is your plan, Master?**_' Hyorinmaru questioned.

'_They obviously won't let me in if they think I'm Japanese, so either I make up some spy excuse or I say I was forced into the Japanese forces. If neither of those seem like they'll be good enough then I hide using a Kido spell and find a disguise._'

'_**You know there's no one small enough to be your size.**_'

'_Don't even go there._'

'_**Perhaps you could simply tell them you've defected?**_'

'_Maybe._'

He saw Sora and the others follow Mulan into the recruit camp and sped up his step a little. There were two guards at the entrance, both muscular and strict looking.

'_This will be interesting no matter what happens._'

* * *

**So Shiro might have a little difficulty working his way through this world, but hey, at least there's another dragon XD Not that Mushu's making his life any easier, lol. This world will be one of the longer arcs since there's a lot to do here. Hollow Bastion was a very short mission the first time around, you don't really stay there for very long except for the thousand Heartless battle much later on (I think I might have more Soul Reapers in here by then, hint hint, nudge nudge. Just don't expect them TOO soon). Enjoy!**


	23. Land of Dragons: Entering Camp

"Hold it!" One of the guards growled out and Toshiro obliged. "That garb…you're from a Japanese force. What business do you have here?"

"And why would they send a kid?" The other smirked.

The air grew cold but Toshiro's face remained passive. He was going to have to get used to this on every world.

"I'm no longer a member of the Japanese force…I wish to join the Imperial Army. I have friends inside who can vouch for me as they plan on joining as well."

"A traitor, eh? What makes us want to trust someone who would betray their own country?"

"Because I was forced into it against my will in the first place. I managed to escape and came here hoping to better my skills." '_Even though I'm probably stronger than this entire camp of soldiers combined._'

The guards shared a look.

"Look, kid. We don't enlist young people."

"I can assure you I'm good with a blade."

The guard thought about it for a moment.

"I'll tell the Captain about you and he can see for himself. Go on in."

"Thank you." Toshiro went ahead and bowed to hopefully earn a little trust before stepping inside.

The first thing he saw was Sora and Donald bickering and fighting with two other recruits, a short fat man in red and a taller lean man in yellow. An enormous and rotund man in blue stood by while Goofy and Mulan were attempting to break up the fight.

"Please!" She shouted at them.

They all stared at her.

'_She's no good at acting._' Toshiro mentally sighed.

"Knock it off, you're worse than children." He snapped at the group.

"Hmph, says the shrimp." The man in red growled.

"What did you call me?" Kid he could stand but shrimp was too much.

The man in red was about to growl back when he looked Toshiro in the eye. Icy teal stared him down with hidden fury and he shivered involuntarily, even backing away a step.

"Come on, Toshiro, I just got slugged." Sora argued.

"You're not reacting in a very soldier worthy manner, Sora. I suggest holding your temper."

"Wise words from such a young man." A new voice said.

Teal eyes turned to see a black haired man with black armor and a red cape over his shoulders. He glanced at Toshiro suspiciously, one of the entrance guards behind him.

"Soldiers, get back in line." The man snapped at the others and they quickly obliged, Sora and friends included. Toshiro remained where he was. "I would like to speak to you alone."

Opening his mouth to reply, Toshiro quickly snapped it shut and turned as he felt the dark presence of Heartless approaching.

"I think you'll have to wait on that." Toshiro said to the man as several of the smaller Heartless, which Donald had told him were Shadows, rose from the ground to attack.

He drew Hyorinmaru and struck first as he heard Sora summon his Keyblade behind him, the other soldiers all darting off as they didn't know what to make of these creatures.

"I'll hold you to that." The man said and drew his sword as well.

"You should probably see to your men, we can handle this." Toshiro warned, motioning with his head towards Sora and Ping who had come to help him. Donald and Goofy stayed back in order to give them space.

Nodding, the Captain left to find his soldiers as Toshiro took his normal stance, the Heartless quickly surrounding the three of them.

"Hope you're ready, Ping." Sora said to the woman.

Ping grimaced as she looked around at the multiple Heartless and Toshiro recognized a look of hopelessness that he'd often see in the trainee Soul Reapers when he'd occasionally visit the Shinou Academy to assist in a lesson. Time to become the teacher again.

"Ping." He called to her and she looked at him curiously. "Don't dwell on the number of enemies you're facing, especially if you have allies by your side to watch your back. Focus more on striking them before they strike you. Rid yourself of doubt and stick to one goal; survive long enough to defeat the enemy."

"R-right."

Toshiro, as usual, was the first to attack and Hyorinmaru's long blade cut down two Heartless in one swipe before he turned and cut down another. Sora struck a Heartless coming up behind Mulan while she in turn managed to defeat another Heartless, though her sword skill could definitely use some work. He'd need to see her one on one later.

'_**This isn't the Soul Society, Master. You're not the Captain here.**_' Hyorinmaru warned.

'_I'll be training her without that man's knowledge to hopefully improve her skill enough that he won't question whether she's a boy or not._'

Bringing the chain-blade to hand, Toshiro threw it towards a group of Heartless, one of them being some kind of hovering wizard Heartless, and wrapped all of them in the chain. Having the chain appear out of nowhere would probably already look strange so Toshiro prevented the ice from forming and instead pulled the three over to cut through them all with his blade. They quickly disintegrated into spirit particles and Toshiro let the chain-blade vanish.

Behind him, Sora and Mulan were taking out the last four.

"Set aside you fear, Ping." Toshiro called out to the woman as Sora killed off another Heartless. "Your duty is to protect your comrades and remain alive; fear will only cloud your judgment."

Nodding, Mulan took a calming breath and focused on the three Heartless surrounding her. Toshiro pulled Sora back, to the boy's dislike, and forced them to stand aside.

"This can help increase Ping's morale considerably." Toshiro said quietly to Sora, though still using Mulan's fake name as the Captain was close by, watching.

A Heartless jumped at her for the easy heart. Mulan at first jumped in surprise before swinging her blade around and catching the creature on it. It fell back, heavily injured, and the other two attacked instead. She kicked back one of them before swinging down with her sword and cutting through the second's head. Now there were only two Heartless. Ecstatic that she'd killed one, Mulan wasn't paying attention to the one she'd first injured as it went into the shadows and rose back up behind her.

"Toshiro!" Sora turned to the Soul Reaper in alarm; Hitsugaya was still holding him back.

Whispering something under his breath, Toshiro pointed a finger at the Heartless. The Shadow's arm went behind its back and it fell face first to the ground with a cartoon squeak.

It alerted Mulan and she spun around, stabbing the ambusher with her blade before quickly turning and slicing down the last one. With that the Heartless were gone and Toshiro let go of Sora, who quickly rushed over to see if Ping was okay, Donald and Goofy close behind him.

"You three." The Chinese Captain called out, singling out Sora and his animal friends. "What are your names?"

"Sora." The brunette replied. "This is Donald and Goofy."

"You show promising battle skills from what little I saw. You are welcome in my troupe."

"Sir, I think you should consider Ping as well." Toshiro said offhandedly, as though not really caring if he did or not.

"No, Ping should return home." He replied with a frown.

"B-but, that would dishonor my family!" Mulan countered in her deeper voice.

"You'd rather dishonor my troops? You let your guard down and were nearly killed."

"If Ping trains hard there's a chance of improvement." Toshiro argued. "If you don't have the time, then I will train Ping."

"You don't even belong within this country, boy." The Captain turned on the white haired child. "But…one of my troops says you defected from the Japanese force after being forced into it to begin with, and that you are good with a blade. I've seen the latter for myself, but what proof do I have that you're not a spy?"

"I can vouch for him!" Sora spoke up, raising his hand with a smile. "He's helped me out of a lot of tight spots since I found him, plus he's really skilled."

Though he still looked doubtful, the Captain decided he'd let the white haired boy stay for now and keep a close eye on him. If he could truly train someone like Ping to a true fighter, then perhaps he'd be a valuable asset to the troupe.

"Very well. You and your friends can work with Ping today while I work with the others. If he can increase his skill significantly by tomorrow, I will reconsider sending him home."

"Thank you, sir." Toshiro gave a slight bow before pivoting on his heel and walking away.

Sora shared a glance with Mulan and nodded to show it was going to be okay before the two of them followed after Toshiro back outside the camp grounds to an open area away from the others. Donald and Goofy lagged behind to gather information.

"So how tough are you?" Mulan asked the small Soul Reaper.

"What I'm going to use to help train you will be a fraction of what I can do." Toshiro replied. "What I teach you will be different from the others considering I learned zanjutsu, not whatever technique the Chinese use."

"Zanjutsu?" Sora blanked.

"Art of the sword. It's a Japanese style of fighting. These techniques might not be something that man will like, but it will keep you alive which is the most important thing right now."

Toshiro unsheathed Hyorinmaru and took a stance, both hands on the hilt and feet spread for better stability as well as perfect for dodging quickly. Mulan attempted to do the same but kept her sword in one hand. The Soul Reaper didn't correct her as the sword was meant to be used that way; he'd simply learned that using both hands increases the power of an attack. With that in mind, he moved one of his hands away from the hilt to decrease the strength of his blows for the beginner.

"Hey Sora, how tough is he?" He heard Mushu question the Keybearer.

"Never fought him one on one, but he's pretty strong." Sora replied with a grin, watching as Toshiro demonstrated how to properly swing a sword without hurting oneself. "I don't think he's been hurt once since I met him."

"Know anything about where he comes from?"

"Well…I'm not supposed to talk about it. I know where he's from, but he gets mad if I tell other people."

"Come on, I traveled worlds with you, which one does he live on?"

"It's been closed off for centuries apparently, the darkness kidnapped him and I happened to run into him."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Because I don't wanna get turned into an ice cube." This he hissed quietly and hoped Toshiro didn't hear.

But he had. Hitsugaya smirked slightly and focused back on his charge, pointing out how Mulan's tight stance caused her to stumble when she swung too hard and how to remedy it.

It continued like this for several hours until Mulan just couldn't take anymore and called it quits. The Soul Reaper hadn't broken a sweat once and ended up helping the woman back to the camp to a tent prepared for their little gang to rest. She would be tested tomorrow and Toshiro thought she would do well considering how fast a learner she was.

The others all went to sleep quickly but Toshiro did not show any signs of weariness or fatigue. He stayed near the entrance of the tent, alert for the slightest sign of Heartless or Nobodies; anything that didn't belong. A shuffling behind him made him turn as Mushu slithered through the sleeping bodies of the others and up to him.

"Okay you, you surprisingly got Sora to remain tight-lipped but I aint trusting ya until you give me answers." The dragon snorted.

"Good luck with that." Toshiro replied.

Mushu growled before looking at the blade at Toshiro's back. This close he could confirm his earlier theory; there was a soul in the sword. With the power he had left as a guardian he would be able to speak to that spirit but he knew Toshiro was very observant.

"What's with that sword, it's bigger than you are?" Mushu said in a cocky tone.

"Are you suggesting something?" Teal eyes stared down the dragon.

"Maybe."

"You realize I could crush you under my hand?"

"Ha! That is IF you could catch m-whoa, hey!" Mushu struggled as he was lifted up by his tail. When had Hitsugaya grabbed that?

"You've been caught. Now leave me alone."

"I need a head start!"

Rolling his eyes, Toshiro tossed the dragon back over to Mulan and turned his gaze back to the entrance.

The red dragon attempted to wait for the Soul Reaper to fall asleep, but ended up doing so first without any sign of Toshiro being close to falling asleep. Learning what the mysterious boy was would be harder than he'd first thought.

* * *

**So Toshiro quickly fights his way into the troupe and offers to help train Mulan. Sora's going to get some training here as well, as Toshiro takes advantage of the training time. Next we go up the mountain! Enjoy!**


	24. Land of Dragons: Dragon Training

The next morning, the five of them walked over to the Captain, known as Shang, for their test.

"Our orders are to ambush Shan-Yu's army on their way here." He told them. "They should be coming through the mountain pass."

Hitsugaya remembered what Goofy had told him about Shan-Yu. He was the leader of the Huns and was attempting to kill the Emperor, thus destroying China.

"We'll smash them!" Donald called out, ready for a fight.

"I doubt that." Shang replied, though he glanced briefly at Toshiro. The boy looked like he was ignoring everything being said. "You five will be the advance party. Scout out the mountain for my troops."

"That's it?" Sora put his hand behind his head, looking a little disappointed. "Man, Hitsugaya could do that by himself with how fast he is."

"You're going whether you like it or not." Toshiro snapped at him. Sora grinned sheepishly.

"I'll brief you on the details later." Shang cut them off, a little frustrated. "Return when you're ready to depart. Remember, the smallest mission may have the greatest purpose. Stay alert!"

"Sir!" Four of them said, Toshiro remaining silent and simply nodding his head. He outranked this man in years and experience; he had no need to show any extra respect.

"Hitsugaya, I wish to speak with you." Shang called out as the five of them started off towards the outside field for some extra training before they would head out for the mountains.

Curious, Toshiro walked back over to the man and waited for whatever it was he wanted to speak about.

"I was watching how you trained Ping yesterday, as well as the fight with those creatures." He began. "The amount of skill you showed with that blade is equal to that of a man who's been training in the Imperial Army under the best instructor all his life, yet I can't imagine you being any older than thirteen."

'_If only he knew._' Toshiro seethed mentally.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"I was forced into the army at an even younger age and was taught everything I know in those early stages while I was still growing. By starting early I was able to learn much quicker as children usually do at that point in their life and continued to get stronger and more skilled. However, they were afraid of my intellect, therefore never put me on the front lines. I eventually escaped."

'_**You managed that fairly well considering you had to admit you are a child.**_' Hyorinmaru chuckled.

'_I admitted nothing, I simply stated that I learned as a child, which I did. I'm not truly a child anymore…not with what I've seen and done._'

The ice dragon had no reply for that.

Shang was obviously still suspicious of Toshiro but got off the subject, assuming it was a sensitive topic for a child to discuss. He instead turned to another matter at hand.

"In the fight yesterday you produced a chain-blade that was attached to your sword, one I didn't see and still don't see on your person."

Toshiro frowned ever so slightly. Crap. Then he thought of something.

"You've seen Sora's blade appear out of thin air, no doubt, and Donald's magic. Seeing as I've been traveling with them is it that surprising I can use some magic as well?"

"Hm…perhaps not. Alright, head out."

The boy nodded and began walking in the direction his comrades had gone. There was still training to do and he had an idea on what to teach Mulan next with her ability to learn quickly. He also wanted to test Sora a little more with using Frozen Heavens; if it was any more like Hyorinmaru than he'd seen already then he wanted to teach the Keybearer how to use it properly.

"Hey Toshiro." Sora greeted as the white haired boy joined them.

"When the others aren't around it's Captain Hitsugaya." Toshiro replied. "And I would still prefer that you use my last name."

"Come on, we're friends right?"

Hitsugaya glanced at him, though with anger or confusion Sora couldn't tell, before turning to Mulan instead.

"You're learning quickly but there's still more to learn." He told her. "Ready?"

She nodded and unsheathed her blade, getting into stance as Toshiro did. Their training started when he lunged forward with surprising speed.

After teaching Mulan several new techniques, Toshiro had them stop, knowing she would need her strength even if they were just scouting. He could sense the darkness of Heartless prowling the mountain path, meaning they had more than the Huns to worry about.

"Sora, your turn." Toshiro called out as Mulan sat on the ground next to the Keybearer and his companions.

"Eh?" The brunette looked at him in surprise.

Sighing, Toshiro held his hand out towards him, motioning for the boy to approach. Sora obliged and summoned his Keyblade, which Toshiro quickly held onto.

"I'm going to teach you how to use Hyorinmaru's powers properly, since we have time to do so." The ice Captain explained at Sora's quizzical glance. "My powers aren't something you can just throw around like the ice dragon you used in Hollow Bastion. There's more to it than that."

"Sweet! Will I be able to manipulate the weather like you did?"

Toshiro shook his head.

"That was an effect of my Spiritual Power as I was releasing my zanpaktou, it's one of Hyorinmaru's abilities that I don't really control. It's also the most powerful, so I'd rather not teach you how to make it storm, especially here."

"Right, good point." Sora laughed nervously.

Finally Toshiro let go of the Keyblade and it changed into Frozen Heavens. Toshiro had put it at exactly thirty minutes, which was adequate time to teach Sora how to properly control the ice dragon made as well as getting rid of the ice he creates. If he learned quickly enough, Toshiro thought maybe he'd teach one of his Bankai techniques. It would be weaker than the real move since Sora couldn't do Bankai, but the Keybearer didn't need such powerful moves for smaller foes, even if the attacks did seem weaker than his own.

"Bring the ice dragon to you." Toshiro said and brought the chain-blade to his hand in a flash of icy light. Mulan and Mushu watched in fascination, the three soldiers from earlier – the men in red, yellow and blue – also coming to see what was going on.

"Okay." Sora lifted up the Keyblade. "Hyorinmaru!"

"Hyorinmaru!?" Mushu exclaimed. He could have sworn he'd heard that name before.

The white dragon of ice-water appeared and curled itself behind Sora aggressively. It was strange to see his own dragon look at him in such a hostile way, but Toshiro found it easier to ignore that since Sora's was bright white instead of his icy blue.

"As you noticed in Hollow Bastion, you can control the dragon with the Keyblade. I can do the same with my zanpaktou. You need to have a better control of the ice dragons to use their offensive power effectively."

"Aren't you going to use your Hyorinmaru?" Sora questioned.

"Mine is much more powerful than yours since I've been training with him for years, he'd easily overpower that one and you wouldn't learn how to control a thing."

"Oh…Right then." Sora took stance and the serpentine dragon behind him rose up in preparation to strike.

"First lesson," Toshiro threw the chain-blade before Sora could react, shattering the white dragon easily, to Sora's surprise, "Make him stronger. Hyorinmaru uses the water in the air to create a solid and powerful form. As long as there is water he can never be broken."

Sora twirled the Keyblade and the shattering ice swirled around him before recreating the white ice dragon. It roared defiantly.

"Here!" Sora shouted and thrust forward with the Keyblade, the dragon following his movements and darting forward, jaws open wide.

"Not good enough." Toshiro blocked the icy fangs before forcing the dragon upwards. "Now, bring it back around. Most opponents will believe they'd gotten rid of it and that gives you the element of surprise."

Following the command, Sora twisted the Keyblade and the white dragon curled over itself in the sky before diving back down. Since Toshiro knew about it he was able to dodge out of the way. Ice spiked up from the impact of the watery beast.

"You also need to be able to break the ice on your own, as it can become an obstacle in your way."

"How?" Sora questioned.

"Just like you created an ice dragon on command, you can force the ice apart on command."

Nodding, Sora pointed the Keyblade at the large crystal of ice. It cracked and shattered before dissipating as shimmering mist. Toshiro counted the time; Sora had twenty-five minutes still. Had it taken that long for him to learn to control the ice-water? He would have thought that would be the easier part, but everyone was different.

"Let's keep going." Toshiro took stance, not looking the least bit tired. "The more you use Frozen Heavens the more control you'll have over the ice dragons. When the energy it took from me runs out we'll stop."

"You got it!" Sora held his Keyblade at the ready.

Toshiro fought seriously this time, acting like he was training with Hyorinmaru himself for Bankai, though avoiding hurting Sora himself. Over time, the Keybearer learned he could coat the Keyblade in sharp ice and throw it at the enemy with a swipe, as well as create more than one dragon, though that took more energy out of him then he liked. But he could control the ice dragons with a flick of his wrist now and could swear he felt stronger in a way he didn't know.

'_**You're raising his Spiritual Power.**_' Hyorinmaru noticed.

'_The more he has the less I'll hurt him when I release you._' Toshiro replied. '_Plus, the Keyblade will possibly be able to go for longer if he has his own Spirit Energy to run on instead of just mine._'

'_**True, and his powers with that Keyblade will be stronger.**_'

Toshiro caught one of the white dragons in the chain-blade and quickly shattered it before leaping upwards. Sora sent another dragon at him instantly only for it to be cut down.

'_He learns fast._' Toshiro noted, impressed.

'_**About as fast as you did.**_'

When they reached the thirty minute limit, the Keyblade returned to the Kingdom Key and Toshiro stopped the training. Sora fell to the ground with a heavy sigh, letting the Keyblade disappear.

"Man, you're tough." Sora groaned, lying back in the dirt. He was sweating profusely and breathing hard.

Shrugging, Toshiro sheathed his zanpaktou and turned to where Donald, Goofy, and Mulan were, only to find most of the soldier camp had come running to watch, including Captain Shang.

'…_Dammit._' Toshiro grimaced.

"Wow, that was amazing!" One soldier exclaimed.

"I really hope he is on our side." Said another.

"Captain, did you see that? They have dragons! Ice dragons!"

"Amazing!"

"That kid must be really strong to fight against all those dragons."

"Enough!" Shang snapped and everyone got quiet. "Hitsugaya, Sora…what exactly was that?"

"Eh?" Sora sat up. "Oh, the ice dragons. It was something Hitsugaya learned to do and now he's teaching me. It's really hard though. Man, I'm beat!"

"Already?" Toshiro raised an eyebrow at him. "We still have a mountain to search."

"Right…."

With a loud groan, Sora pushed himself up and walked back over to his companions, Toshiro refusing to look Shang's way as he followed them.

"Guess we better head off then." Sora sighed.

Donald cast a Cure spell before they left, which seemed to grab Toshiro's interest, and Shang simply waved them on, only glancing once as the white haired child passed in their scouting party of five.

'_He thinks he can pressure me to tell him,_' Toshiro mused. '_He'll find I'm not easily persuaded._'

* * *

**So Sora's getting some powering up! Eventually he'll be able to do some actual fighting alongside Toshiro instead of the Soul Reaper taking most of the kills ^^ Training's over, time to head up the mountain! Enjoy!**


	25. Land of Dragons: Mountain Trials

At the bottom of the mountain pass, the five scouters waited. Apparently there were several creatures that sounded suspiciously like Heartless heading down and they needed to apprehend them before they could reach the camp. Easy enough, with Mulan in higher spirits and well trained. Toshiro kept an eye on her though, in case she needed support. At the moment she was the weak link and he wasn't about to let her get slaughtered, not when he was already training her to be a better soldier.

'_**Becoming attached, are we?**_' Hyorinmaru chuckled.

'_When you teach someone personally you tend not to want them dying on you._'

The dragon snorted but went quiet as the Heartless appeared around them. This time Sora struck first, taking after Toshiro in trying to get the first hit and gain an advantage before the Heartless struck. Right after him was Mulan and Toshiro stayed in a defensive stance, watching to see how his students fought against real Heartless. It reminded him of home, training the recruits to be powerful Soul Reapers. He never thought he'd miss it.

A Heartless got in close and he quickly cut it down, shaking away the nostalgia of home and focusing on eradicating the Heartless. It would do him no good to daydream.

A dark power rose in the direction of the camp and he scowled.

"Sora! You and Ping handle things here, a few of the Heartless got through to the camp!" He shouted to the Keybearer several yards away.

"You can count on us!" Donald replied instead as Sora was busy with one of the Heartless mages.

He ran from the checkpoint until he was out of sight before using Flash Step to hurry to the camp, running once more when he was in the presence of the soldiers. They panicked as Heartless sprung from the ground and came after them.

'_Need to draw them away._' Toshiro mused and let his Spiritual Pressure rise, cold settling in on the camp.

It didn't affect Heartless as much as Hollows, but it got them interested enough in him to leave the humans alone and surround him instead. He brought the chain-blade to hand and quickly tossed it at a Heartless before they used their numbers as an advantage.

In no time he'd killed the Heartless invading the camp and the soldiers returned to assess the damage.

"Thank you, Hitsugaya." One of them said to him with a bow of his head. "We couldn't seem to do anything to those creatures."

"Leave those creatures to me and Sora, as well as his companions." Toshiro warned. "The four of us are capable of killing these things without too much trouble."

"Understood."

"I must return, keep an eye out for any more of them."

Racing back towards the mountains, Toshiro sensed that Sora and the others had defeated the Heartless and were paused at the bottom of the mountain, no doubt waiting for him.

'_**Captain Shang is with them.**_' Hyorinmaru noted.

'_Great, just what I need._' He sighed mentally before stopping his Flash Step just out of range and running into the river clearing where Sora and the others were, Mulan looking a little nervous as Shang stood before them.

"Where were you, Hitsugaya?" Shang demanded.

"The creatures were in the camp, I left to take care of them. Your men are safe now." Toshiro replied in a tone void of emotion but warning the man not to pry too much.

"That so?" Shang seemed skeptical but turned back to the others, the Soul Reaper stepping between Sora and Mulan. "You all did well."

"I knew it." Sora grinned.

"And I suppose Ping made decent progress." Shang glanced at the woman disguised as a man.

"Considering the amount of skill displayed yesterday morning Ping made more than decent progress." Toshiro argued.

"Yeah, Hitsugaya taught him a lot." Donald backed him up.

"It's alright guys, he's right." Mulan stood tall. "Let me scout the mountain, sir. I'll show you what I'm really made of."

Shang took a moment to look over the newcomer to his troupe. It was true, Ping had made incredible progress with Hitsugaya's training, more than any of the men he'd trained before. Whether he was just that fast of a learner or Toshiro was that great a teacher, what mattered was the result and he was more than willing to let Ping prove himself in real combat.

"Very well. Go on ahead, you lot. And stay alert!"

"Sir!" Again, Toshiro did not join in on that and simply began walking up the mountain without a word, wanting this to be over with.

"Ah, wait up Hitsugaya!" Sora was quick to dart after the white haired boy with his three companions close behind, leaving Shang in the clearing to watch them leave.

"That child…he's unlike anything I've ever seen." The Captain mused before turning to go back to camp. He wondered how Hitsugaya had gone from the clearing and back to camp in such a short time, there was a good mile or two between them.

On the path, Toshiro paused for a brief moment to spot a hawk passing overhead. The bird seemed to glare at him before flying quickly away and towards the summit. Unsure what to make of the bird, Toshiro kept moving until he found an obstacle in his path. A large set of boulders, no doubt set by Shan-Yu, blocked their path.

"Gawrsh, how do we break that down without it toppling on us?" Goofy examined the obstacle as if to find a weakness.

Donald waddled over to help while Sora looked at it from a distance, wondering the same thing. Beside him, Toshiro glanced at Mulan before sighing; he'd meant to tell Sora about Kido anyway after he'd told him about the barrier in Hollow Bastion, and the woman had her annoying dragon already following him around so it wouldn't be that big a deal.

"Donald, Goofy, back up." He snapped and held his hand up, palm facing the boulders with his other hand over his wrist.

The two animals quickly followed his command, understanding that Toshiro had something up his sleeve.

"_Way of Destruction Number Thirty-One, Red Fire Cannon!_" A ball of red fire developed in front of his palm before it shot outward in a jet of red flame energy. The Kido shot burst the rubble apart easily even without the need of the full chant.

"Whoa!" Sora exclaimed as he and the others backed up a few steps. "How did you do that?! I thought you only used ice?"

"That was something called Kido." Toshiro explained. "I focus my Spirit Energy into my hands and use the correct chant in order to cast one. There are three different types altogether, but I don't have time to explain all of them."

"What kind was that?" Donald looked interested.

"Hado, or Way of Destruction spells; they're offensive type Kido. The higher the number the more powerful the blast. To make them even stronger you say the full chant but I had no need to and simply said the spell's name. And no, you can't use Kido, Donald."

"Aw…" The duck slumped.

"What kind of person uses Kido?" Mushu popped up from Mulan's armor.

Toshiro opened his mouth to say one of his evasive answers before sensing the approach of Heartless and whipping around, sword drawn in a flash. Following his lead, Sora, Donald, and Goofy had their weapons at the ready. More Shadows and Soldiers, the armored Heartless, rose from the ground to further get in their way when they could see yet more rock obstacles in their path.

"I'll continue this later." He growled. "If you four can keep them off me I can clear the rocks."

"Don't worry about the rocks." Sora said and darted forward, skirting around the Heartless. "Just before you shot it I found a good way to get rid of them using what you taught me!"

"Wait, Sora!" Mulan called out to the boy.

"Let him try, focus on the Heartless." Toshiro stopped her before cutting down the closest Heartless.

Sora focused his energy into the Keyblade before leaping towards the rocks and striking the weak spots in quick succession. Before the rocks could fall apart, he put his strength behind one single strike and launched the boulders away in pieces off the mountain. By then the others had destroyed the Heartless.

"You learn quickly, Sora." Toshiro congratulated the Keybearer, impressed. "I'm sure there's more to come, let's keep moving."

At the next set of rocks, Toshiro used Kido while Sora struck down the Heartless trying to approach the Soul Reaper. It seemed Shan-Yu was determined to stall them from reaching the summit and Hitsugaya believed he was attempting to destroy the military checkpoint Shang had said was there. Whatever the case, they couldn't just let the Heartless travel down the mountain and kill off the Imperial Army.

Sora destroyed the last barrier and made the pathway to the summit clear. Behind him, Mulan struck the final blow on a large, centaur-like Heartless attempting to strike down Toshiro with its spear. Thankfully it vanished before the spear struck, though Toshiro was fully able to dodge it.

"Made it!" Sora shouted.

'_Good. Any longer and I might have had to release my zanpaktou._' Toshiro sheathed his blade and walked over to the Keybearer.

"We should signal the others." Mulan suggested.

"No need, they're already heading up." Toshiro countered. "They waited ten minutes to make sure we'd cleared the way before following, they'll be here shortly."

And so they waited, taking a well-deserved break while Toshiro kept alert, his gaze always panning around for the slightest disturbance. The trail they were on led further up into the snowier part of the mountain, which Toshiro was actually glad about. Sora seemed to be fine and the Soul Reaper put it down to his magical garments, while Donald and Goofy shivered until the duck used magic to make their clothes warmer. Mulan's thick armor seemed to keep her warm but out of all of them Toshiro seemed better off. Donald offered to cast the same spell for him as he had himself but Toshiro declined, saying he felt better in the cold.

"How are you not freezing?" Mushu demanded.

"I did just say I preferred the cold, did I not?" Hitsugaya sighed.

"Maybe a little, sure, but the snow past this point will go up to your knees! You can't seriously be willing to trudge through that in such light clothing."

"Are you sure you'll be fine, Toshiro?" Sora asked with a worried expression.

"Look, I'm better in the cold because my body temperature is lower than normal." He glanced quickly at Mulan. "It comes with having power over ice."

"Guess that makes sense." Goofy scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"Freaky body temperature or not, you'll get cold eventually." Mushu argued.

"I won't say it's impossible for me to get cold, it just takes much lower temperatures. The further up we go the more I'll start to feel it."

"Just lemme know and I'll cast that spell." Donald said, narrowing his eyes at the Soul Reaper until Toshiro nodded.

By then, Shang and the others had arrived.

"Ya aint half bad." The soldier in red grinned at them all.

"Men among men!" The thin soldier in yellow agreed.

"Ping did an outstanding job considering the circumstances." Toshiro pointed out nonchalantly, watching the Chinese Captain carefully.

Shang debated with himself over something before he sighed heavily and turned to Mulan.

"Alright…I'll let you join my troops, all of you. But Ping, while you've made incredible progress, you're still not soldier material. Not enough to take on Shan-Yu."

Toshiro snorted and continued on, not interested in hearing any more if the man refused to see the amount of progress Ping had made.

'_I may not be on this world much longer but if Mulan really wants to prove herself to that Captain then I better continue training. If she can do even basic combat needed to be a Soul Reaper she'll seem like an invincible statue to the rest of them._'

'_**Humans can only do so much, and Mushu is watching you closer than he seems.**_'

'_Being a guardian spirit he might know about Soul Reapers, but I don't want him spouting off to Mulan about it._'

Hyorinmaru rumbled in agreement before going quiet as his master reached the checkpoint.

* * *

**Here's the mountain portion of the Land of Dragons ^^ Shiro's really trying to help Mulan get Shang's approval, but he has a reason for that. After all, Mulan has to be the hero, right? Enjoy!**


	26. Land of Dragons: Intruders and Shadows

Sora found Toshiro at the checkpoint resting against one of the walls, Hyorinmaru in his lap.

"Don't tell me he fell asleep in the cold." Mushu snorted in disbelief, careful not to peek out too much.

"I don't know what he's doing." Sora shrugged. "When I first met him he was doing that too, never told me what it was."

They approached him but he did not stir. For all they could tell, he did seem to be asleep. Only his meditative position seemed rather uncomfortable to sleep in.

"Hey, Captain." Goofy said, hoping it would stir the usually alert Soul Reaper.

"Hang on, I got this." Mushu, seeing this as a perfect opportunity to figure out the sword spirit, jumped down and reached a scaly paw out towards the long blade.

He managed to touch the blade long enough to see a quick image of the ice dragon inside, wings spread as he roared defiantly at the intruder, before Toshiro snapped out of his inner World and pushed the dragon to the ground with the back of his blade before the others realized he'd moved. It took them another moment to realize that their dragon friend was currently pinned to the ground.

"W-Whoa, hey now." Mushu shivered even though the razor sharp edge was turned away. He knew Toshiro had enough strength to crush his thin throat even with the flat side.

"Captain, he was just trying to wake you up." Sora pleaded.

"A guardian has no business inside someone's Inner World." Toshiro snapped, looking rather furious with Mushu for something they didn't understand. "I know you've been watching me, dragon, to figure out what I am. If I wanted it to be known I would have said so."

"Really sorry, man!" Mushu whined.

"Don't make such a mistake again." Toshiro released the dragon before standing and walking away quickly to cool off.

Mushu immediately scrambled up Mulan's armor and hid inside where she could feel him shivering with fright.

"Gawrsh, what do you think Captain Hitsugaya meant by that?" Goofy turned to the others, worried.

"Mushu, what did you do to make him so mad?" Sora attempted to coax the dragon out of the armor with Mulan's help.

There was no reply at first and they were unable to make him move. Eventually they gave up with a sigh and went to make camp for the night. The trek up the mountain had tired them all out and everyone was settling in anyway.

"I'll go find Toshiro." Sora said to them once they'd found their resting spot. "Need to make sure he's okay. Maybe I can ask him what happened."

"Be careful, Sora." Donald warned.

Giving the duck a nod, the Keybearer left to search the town for his white haired companion.

In the dark the snow seemed to hold a pale glow that gave Sora goose bumps, and the wind was harsh. He thanked the fairies for his special clothes that kept him warm despite the weather and hoped Toshiro was still able to resist such dreadfully low temperatures. He called out the Soul Reaper's name several times and hoped for him to appear suddenly as he had a tendency to do, even using his first name occasionally. When he got no reply he began to worry.

When he scaled one of the buildings to get a higher view, he was surprised to find his friend on that very roof, gaze turned up to the sky.

"How many times must I tell you to call me Hitsugaya?" Toshiro said without turning.

"Come on, you didn't answer me." Sora groaned. "I was worried sick."

Sitting next to the boy, Sora prepared himself for the lecture he was sure to get for what he planned on asking next.

"You want to know what happened when Mushu attempted to wake me." Toshiro said before Sora had the chance to speak.

"Uh…yeah, actually. How did you know?"

"Because that's something I would do." Toshiro finally turned away from the sky. "You're a little predictable, Sora."

"Hey!"

Shaking his head and smirking slightly, Hitsugaya wondered how to explain why he'd threatened the guardian.

"I assume I haven't told you yet about where the spirit in our zanpaktous reside?" He questioned first.

"I don't think so…I thought it was in the sword?"

"Yes and no." Toshiro saw Sora glance at him funnily and sighed. "The spirit in our zanpaktou is a part of us, so Hyorinmaru is a part of my soul. Over time a Soul Reaper learns to hear that inner voice as they train, and the spirit is formed within a sword as an extension of that Soul Reaper's soul. The place where that spirit resides lies deep within our soul called the Inner World. Everyone's is different depending on what kind of power they have."

"So Mushu somehow got in there?" Sora asked.

"Yes. Normally something like that is impossible, but there are certain times where one's Inner World can be invaded. Such a thing is dangerous as it could damage the soul of the one who's being invaded, as well as pose a risk to the invader if they become trapped. There was once a zanpaktou with the power to control other zanpaktous by invading their world and binding them to him. It ended up being disastrous and put the Soul Society at risk."

"Gee…but Mushu didn't know that."

"I know, I simply overreacted, which is why I left. As a guardian I assumed he might know something about Soul Reapers, more so since he traveled worlds with you. I did not expect him to try something like that, however, and was caught off guard."

"Ya know, you scared him pretty badly."

"Good, now he knows what it means to pry too far." Toshiro stood. "His nosiness will get him in trouble. Come on, let's go back."

"Right."

Together they returned to the snow covered ground and headed back towards where the others were, Sora noticing Hitsugaya tighten the scarf around his neck. It seemed he'd reached the limit of how much cold he could stand before it started to affect him. He'd have Donald cast the spell later.

Sora greeted the others with his same general cheeriness while Toshiro kept to the side and quiet, doing his usual night watch. It seemed like he never slept.

When morning came, though, they did indeed find him asleep. He was leaning up against the wall and breathing softly, his breath coming out in white puffs that looked like the breath of a dragon.

"He looks kinda cute when he sleeps." Goofy grinned, pointing out the childish pout on the ice Captain's face as he slept on.

"Not as dangerous now, is he?" Sora snickered before he stood and brushed himself off. "He hasn't slept in a few days, let's leave him here to rest and check out what's going on."

"Sure thing." Donald stretched his wings before following Goofy and Sora outside, Mulan quickly fixing her hair back into the top knot and putting on her armor before following them out as well.

While the four friends went around helping with the small things for now, Toshiro continued to sleep until his stomach woke him up. It was then he realized he hadn't eaten in a while.

"Didn't even bother to wake me up." He grumbled upon noticing the absence of the others.

Stifling a yawn with his hand, the Soul Reaper grabbed his sword and walked outside, latching onto Sora's Spirit Energy and heading that way. Since the Keybearer was in town he took it upon himself to grab some food first before meeting him.

The four of them were facing Mushu as he said something and Toshiro remained hidden in the shadows.

"I saw this real shady guy." He was saying. "I know it has to be Shan-Yu."

"Shan-Yu!" Mulan gasped.

"We've got to tell the Captain!"

"Which one?" Donald turned to the Keybearer.

"Uh…I meant Toshiro, but we should tell Shang too."

"Waaait-wait-wait-wait-WAIT!" Mushu stopped them before they could look for the two people named. "Everybody use their heads a sec. Now, why are we here?"

The trio thought about it.

"To make Captain Shang notice Mulan's…I mean, Ping's talent and bring honor to her family! Can't do that if either Captain is there to help her. So, let's go find Shan-Yu by ourselves! Then, if we're lucky, we can fry him up good!"

"I suppose tracking him down would be enough." Toshiro commented, making them all jump. He was leaning casually on the wall now. "Considering how Shan-Yu seems to be viewed, simply finding him would give Mulan quite a bit of respect. However, I don't think Shan-Yu is the one you saw. No self-respecting leader would allow himself to be seen so close to his enemy's checkpoint, he'd send in a decoy."

Mushu said nothing, only scrambled back up to peek his head out of Mulan's armor, glancing at him wearily.

"I think we should at least check it out, Captain." Mulan suggested.

"I suppose. You four go, I'll remain with the town just in case he was a decoy."

"Thanks, Hitsugaya." Sora bowed his head to him. "So Mushu, where is he?"

"In the cave outside the village." The dragon replied quietly.

Toshiro frowned at that but said nothing, thinking a hidden cave was just the kind of place to trap the four people in while taking out the town. He was definitely staying here while they figured out if Shan-Yu was in the cave or not. But if he was, could he be sure he wouldn't have a Heartless with him?

"Sora." He called out as they began to walk away.

When the boy turned, Toshiro held his hand out in a familiar manner and Sora obliged, bringing the Keyblade to hand and letting the white haired child hold onto it.

"Be careful, Sora. I have a bad feeling about that cave." He said quietly.

"Are you sure you don't want to come along?" The Keybearer tilted his head to the side.

"The feeling I have is the same reason I'm staying put. Someone's drawing the strongest of us away to wreck this village and make it look like it's our fault. If I stay I can hopefully put a stop to that plan." After a good thirty seconds, he let go of the blade and Sora left with Frozen Heavens in hand.

With the four of them gone, Toshiro found it rather quiet in the camp. Not to mention he was still getting odd looks from the Chinese soldiers and Shang was still attempting to pressure answers out of him with silent glares. Ignoring all of these, Toshiro kept quiet and stood alert for the slightest change in the darkness. Since he remained, Shan-Yu would certainly come up with something to get him out of town.

'_**The organization might be working with him, they might send in their Soul Reaper.**_' Hyorinmaru warned.

'_Yes, they might. If not the Nobodies then definitely the Heartless. They are attracted to people with the most darkness in their heart._'

'_**Remain alert.**_'

Something stirred outside the village and Toshiro moved towards it quickly.

'_Didn't have to wait very long, it seems._' He growled, reaching for the hilt of his sword. The other soldiers seemed to get the message and became tense, Shang wondering what it was the Japanese boy had found.

And then darkness descended upon the village.

* * *

**Mushu, stop being so nosy. Well, the dragons had gotten off to a bad start, now it's worse T^T at least Toshiro is willing to put it aside. As for this mysterious figure, he figured out pretty quickly that it was just a distraction, but can he save the village? Am I already introducing a drastic change in script? Does he become China's Hero and not Mulan? To the next chapter XD Enjoy!**


	27. Land of Dragons: You're a Woman?

Inside the cave, Sora used one of his ice dragons to take out the final Heartless that had ambushed them, Mulan standing by and only panting a little bit. Toshiro's training had really paid off.

"Captain Hitsugaya was right, this was just a decoy." She sheathed her blade.

"Good thing he stayed behind to protect the village." Sora grinned.

The barrier trapping them in came down and his two animal companions rushed over to him.

"You okay?" Goofy asked.

"Yeah, thanks to Ping." Sora put his hands behind his head. "And Hitsugaya's Keyblade."

"Come on, time to report to the Captain." Mushu called out.

"Hitsugaya knew Shan-Yu wasn't here, though." Donald argued.

"Not him, Shang!" Mushu growled. "And we're gonna tell him how Ping defeated thousands of Heartless before they could reach the village!"

Sora shrugged before leading the group out of the cave.

The sight that greeted them was not what they expected. The village was in flames, though it seemed they were recent, and a few soldiers lay dead. Those who had survived were helping out the injured, Shang among them, with Toshiro nowhere in sight.

"Hyorinmaru!" Sora called out after bringing Frozen Heavens to his hand. He still had some power left in it, enough to put out the hungry flames.

Giving out a roar, the white dragon of ice covered over the flames, putting them out and saving what was left of the village. Sora quickly got rid of the ice now covering it before rushing inside with his three companions behind him. Where was their icy friend?

"Sora, Ping, Donald, Goofy." Shang called out each of them as they approached. "Those creatures flooded in…Hitsugaya used some kind of magic to hold them off, he did his best to keep them out, but they got through. Their fire seemed to weaken him."

"He's partial to ice, so it makes sense fire is his weakness." Sora nodded.

"He lured them all up to the summit to get them away from the village." Shang leaned against a wall for support, sporting his own wounds and the four of them looked at him worriedly. "It's just a scratch. After he led them away, Shan-Yu arrived. He destroyed the place before heading up to the summit after Hitsugaya."

"Ah, Hitsugaya's in danger!" Sora turned to his companions. "Don't worry Captain Shang, we'll stop Shan-Yu and his army!"

"It kinda is our fault." Goofy added in a sad tone.

The air turned icier than normal and dark clouds began to from at the top of the summit, stirring up the snow even from their distance.

"It's Hitsugaya! Let's go!" Not waiting for an answer, Sora darted off for the mountain top.

At the summit, Toshiro faced off against the wave of fish-like Heartless with his zanpaktou released, an icy dragon twice the size of Sora's waiting behind him.

'_There's so many of them!_' Toshiro scowled. '_At least this place gives me a weather advantage._'

He sliced the air with Hyorinmaru and the ice dragon shot forward, jaws open wide. Many of the Heartless were destroyed in the icy wave while others darted forward. At the top of the summit stood Shan-Yu, a stocky man with greasy black hair and clothes of fur, a twisted steel blade in hand, glaring down at the white haired child who was managing to destroy his army effortlessly. At least the child was not unscathed, tears in his black uniform and the blood dripping from those cuts proving he wasn't as invincible as he seemed.

'_If it's just him, I can probably use that attack to get rid of him and the Heartless.'_ Toshiro held his sword up high. "_Subjugation of-_" He paused, eyes widening in alarm as Sora and the others ran up the mountain top. '_Dammit! You have terrible timing, Sora!'_

'_**He's still out of range, use it now!**_' Hyorinmaru roared.

'_No, it'll spread out due to the amount of snow already here, they'll get caught in it._'

Instead, Toshiro put the tip of his sword in the ground before swinging upward, creating a torrent of freezing water that pushed up the slope and drowned the entire Heartless army, freezing quickly as it trapped them in. The torrent completely froze over before reaching Shan-Yu, though the Hun leader still looked a little spooked.

"Not close enough." Toshiro growled out as Sora and the others reached his side, taking a fighting stance.

"Here!" Donald shouted and cast a Cure spell on the Soul Reaper. His cuts healed in an instant, surprising him, but his Spirit Energy was still low.

"Nice move, Hitsugaya." Sora spared a quick grin before looking back up, more of the fish-like Heartless coming to wait next to the Hun leader.

'_Wait…if I get Sora to use it…it won't be as strong, and it should take him out._' Toshiro mused, noticing the teen still had Frozen Heavens in hand. He had about two or three minutes left, so he had to make this quick.

'_**He's not ready for something like that.**_' Hyorinmaru warned.

'_He's running out of time anyway, it won't take as much out of him as it normally would._'

Teal eyes turned to the summit again as Shan-Yu himself came barreling down the slope with the many Heartless at his back.

"We can handle this, Captain." Sora said before Toshiro could speak.

"Let us try."

They turned to see it was the short man in red who spoke, a rocket in his grip and the soldiers in blue and yellow right behind him.

"What are you doing?" Toshiro questioned as they stuck the end of the rocket into the ground and aimed it at the approaching Hun leader.

"Blowing him sky high." The man in yellow grinned.

They lit a match and were about to send the rocket flying before Mulan suddenly shoved them aside with a quick apology, turning the rocket up to aim at the very tip of the mountain. The others looked confused and alarmed, but as Toshiro looked at the tip he realized what she was doing. The snow there was thickly set and ready to fall, all it needed was a push…or a rocket.

"Get off the summit!" He snapped at them all. He wondered if he had enough energy left to stop the falling snow and launch it back up before it reached them, but he wanted to make sure.

Snatching up her dragon companion, Mulan forced him to light the fire before ducking down and covering her ears. The others began to head back down the path to the village, Toshiro remaining with Mulan to get her out if the snow reached them.

The rocket launched, Mushu on it, and headed towards the tip of the mountain with a trail of smoke behind it.

"Ah, Mushu!" Mulan called out.

Vanishing with Flash Step, Toshiro intercepted the rocket and grabbed the small red dragon before quickly heading back down.

"What does she thinks she's doing?!" He shouted, climbing onto the Soul Reaper's shoulder.

"Bringing down the mountain on him." Toshiro replied. He ran back over to Mulan. "Come on, that snow will fall down here too."

"Right." Mulan stood quickly and they began running off the summit.

They passed the Chinese Captain and Ping quickly grabbed his hand, pulling him off the summit and back to the path just as the tons of snow flowed down, burying the Heartless and their leader within its white depths, and over the edge of the ridge. Toshiro could sense his energy no more.

Breathing heavily, all of them took a moment to recuperate from the close call. The soldiers sat in the snow to cool off, as the running had actually heated them up quite a bit. Donald and Goofy checked on Sora, Ping and Shang while Toshiro checked to make sure all the Heartless were gone.

"Is he gone?" Mushu asked him, still on his shoulder.

"From what I can tell…" Toshiro replied quietly. "It seems like he might still be there…but it's muffled."

"The snow, maybe?"

Toshiro shook his head.

"Snow wouldn't be a problem for me. I think the Heartless are blocking him."

Then they heard voices, that of the Captain, and turned to see what was going on.

"Thanks, Ping." Shang said.

"It…was nothing." Mulan replied in her deep voice, standing quickly to brush off the snow.

"I should never have doubted you. You have my trust." Shang offered the woman a smile and she bowed to hide a slight blush.

"Thank you, Captain."

At Toshiro's shoulder, Mushu gave a huff, thinking Shang wouldn't hear him.

"First she uses me as a lighter, then she turns me into a cannon ball." He growled. "Thanks for the help, by the way. But man, the head ancestor's gonna hear about this. I give up! Mulan's on her own…"

"You really are too loud." Toshiro sighed, noticing Shang turn to them with wide eyes.

"Mulan?" He scowled, turning back to said woman. She looked very nervous now. "You're a woman!?"

"To be honest, I thought it was obvious." Toshiro said nonchalantly, stepping closer. The red dragon was hiding in his haori, ashamed.

"So you knew the whole time?" Shang growled.

"Did you not notice how I never specified her gender?" Toshiro pointed out. "I called her Ping because that's what she wanted, but I never promised to call her a boy, I just didn't call her a girl either."

"We're sorry, Captain." Sora pleaded.

"I can't believe you lied to me." Shang snapped at Mulan, making her jump and turn away, ashamed.

"She saves your life and you turn your back on her?" Toshiro raised an eyebrow.

"What she's done is treason and deserves the penalty of death." Shang growled over his shoulder. "The fact that I'm leaving her alive means I'm willing to overlook it due to her saving me. I've repaid my debt…now get out of my sight."

"Pompous bastard." Toshiro sighed, going unheard by the man.

The soldiers with Shang trudged after the man at a slow pace, wore out from all the running. They were heading for the city now it seemed, leaving Mulan and the others at the mountain's summit. As they left, Toshiro narrowed his eyes at the soldiers…something wasn't right.

"_Way of Binding Number Four, Crawling Rope._" He said calmly and let the yellow energy chain shoot forward and wrap around one of the men.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Shang whipped back around in alarm.

"Saving your life." Toshiro leaped forward and cut down the second soldier.

The one in chains gave out a shriek and showed what he truly was under the Kido's power, a large cylindrical Heartless with a small head that shot out in an attempt to attack Shang, the second vanishing in blue spirit particles after showing its form as well. Hitsugaya sliced the head attempting to kill the Captain in two before sheathing his blade quickly.

"You've been duped." He said coldly to the Captain. "I assume that means Shan-Yu isn't as dead as we'd like to believe."

"How did you know?"

"Now is not the time for explanations. Get to the city, most of your 'soldiers' were heading that way before they vanished from my senses."

"The Emperor!" Shang was quick to dart back down the mountain.

Ping removed the oppressing armor, now dressed only in a light green tunic and black pants as was normal for the warriors. She also let her hair down, reaching just past her chin.

"I can move better like this, let's go!" She said, holding her sword at her side turned backwards.

Just before they could head down the mountainside, they heard an angry roar further down the mountain. Peeking over the edge of the ridge they saw the Hun leader himself, standing tall and unharmed, with many Heartless hovering around him. Black eyes looked over his army before he began to trudge down the side of the mountain, a hawk diving down to land on his shoulder.

"He's heading to the Imperial City." Mulan whispered to them.

"And he's already sent his mimic soldiers ahead to stall Shang." Toshiro thought of a plan quickly. "We need to move quickly. Now!"

"Sir!" The four of them replied.

With Toshiro leading, they all ran down the mountain as quickly as possible to get to the city before Shan-Yu.

* * *

**Honestly Mushu, you messed it all up *sighs*. Did anyone else notice how when Toshiro spoke about Ping he never used a gender? That's harder to do than I thought...gotta use the right words. Anyway, secret's out and now it's time to save China! Enjoy!**


	28. Land of Dragons: Defeat of Shan-Yu

As they reached the river clearing, Toshiro vanished from view for a brief moment.

"Wish I could Flash Step." Sora said between panting breaths.

Toshiro found Shang surrounded by his own men, darkness swirling off of them as they closed in on him. Unsheathing his blade and summoning the chain, Toshiro tossed it forward easily. The sharp crescent-blade cut through one soldier cleanly before sticking deeply into the second, ice spreading rapidly over the body. In the next moment he was frozen over and Toshiro tugged the chain to break it before cutting down two more with his long blade and standing back to back with Shang. There were still two soldiers left.

"You were right…all dead." Shang breathed sadly, sword tight in his hand.

"Keep moving, Sora and the others will be here in a moment." Toshiro ordered.

He cut down the dark soldier in front of him before skirting around Shang and running his blade through the second. Both vanished into blue spirit particles.

"Go!" He snapped, noticing Shang still standing there. "You have a duty to protect the emperor, now go!"

Still rather shaken up by realizing his men were all dead, Shang simply nodded obediently and ran through the gates to the city. Just then, Sora and Mulan arrived with Donald and Goofy behind them.

"Hurry!" Toshiro hollered at them before running quickly after Shang. The man had a duty to protect the emperor, but the Soul Reaper had a duty to protect the living, no matter what world.

Eventually they all caught up to Toshiro and ran behind him, Shang visible ahead in the distance.

"Stop doing that teleporting thing." Sora panted once he caught up to the white haired Reaper.

"It's not teleporting, it's Flash Step, remember?" Toshiro argued, not looking the least bit winded. "I can make myself faster for a brief moment and to those unable to keep up it seems like teleporting."

"Cool."

The city came into view and Toshiro sped back up again. He could sense that the Heartless had already taken Shan-Yu inside and were waiting in the courtyard for their group. The leader himself was heading up the steps towards the Emperor.

"Sora, I'm going on ahead." Toshiro called behind him. "Take out the Heartless in the courtyard and make sure Shang gets to the emperor safely."

"What are you going to do?" Mulan asked.

"Make sure Shan-Yu doesn't get a step closer to the palace." And with that the white haired child was gone, leaving Sora and his companions to catch up to Shang.

The Chinese Captain felt wind brush past him as Toshiro darted by with Flash step, jumping easily over the city walls and using Flash Step one last time to stand in front of the Hun leader, sword at the ready. The man jumped in surprise at his sudden appearance before scowling and unsheathing his own wicked blade. Toshiro thought he sensed a strange energy coming from that sword, a familiar one that he couldn't, at the moment, figure out. He assumed whatever it was at least made the blade a little more durable than a normal steel blade and that it wouldn't shatter as quickly as he'd first hoped.

Realizing Shan-Yu wasn't about to attack, Toshiro tightened his grip to strike before considering this a good opportunity. If he could stall the man long enough, the others could make it and he could make it seem like Mulan saved the day. Since he wouldn't be here long he didn't need to give himself a fan base, but he'd be willing to give Mulan one.

"What's a Japanese soldier doing protecting the Emperor?" Shan-Yu asked in a husky voice, a grin spreading over his face.

"My reasons are my own." Toshiro replied carefully. "I hold no allegiance to any country, I only fight the Heartless."

"The Heartless seem interested in you, though." Two of the fish-like Heartless appeared by his side, orange heads twitching around before golden eyes settled on the white haired Captain. "Must be the darkness in your heart."

"I won't deny I have darkness, but it's my choice how to use it."

Shan-Yu gave a wicked laugh and stepped closer. The long blade in his hand was lifted slightly in warning, no hint of fear in those bright teal eyes.

"I'm going to be the new emperor and no snowy haired brat will stand in my way." Shan-Yu pointed his blade at Toshiro, the boy scowling at what he'd been called and moving his blade so it crossed slightly with his opponent's. For a brief moment, Shan-Yu thought he heard the furious roar of a dragon.

"This 'snowy haired brat' will make sure you don't live long enough to even see inside the palace."

With an angry yell, Shan-Yu leaped at him. His blade clashed with Hyorinmaru, the two swords clanging loudly, and weight was put behind the curved blade to try and push the tiny Captain down. Scowling, Toshiro pushed back and knocked the man away before jumping up to plant his foot in his opponent's chest and forcing him several feet away from the palace. A chain-blade was suddenly thrown at him and wrapped the Hun leader's sword arm in it, the blade dangling from his hand as a weight to tighten the grip. Ice immediately encased the arm it held and started to slowly spread over the shoulder.

"We're not in the mountains anymore, boy." Shan-Yu slammed his fist into the ice and shattered it, to Toshiro's surprise. Was the darkness truly that powerful?

What's more, the two Heartless he'd earlier summoned dived towards the white haired child. With the chain-blade still wrapped around Shan-Yu's arm, there was only so far he could dodge. He put his free hand over his other and pointed his fingers at the Heartless, prepared to fire a Kido spell.

"Thunder!" Someone quacked and the two Heartless, close together, burst into clouds of darkness.

"I can tell you're going to run off like that often on this trip." Sora panted as he held the Kingdom Key up, Mulan on Toshiro's other side with Donald and Goofy preventing the Hun leader's escape. Shang took the moment to rush into the palace.

"Consider it a bad habit."

Growling, Shan-Yu increased the dark power giving him strength until it started to waft off his body due to its amount and power. Several more Heartless came to the darkness's call and hovered obediently by the man.

"Moment of truth, Mulan." Toshiro said quietly to the Chinese woman at his side. "Can you take him down?"

She nodded, looking determined, and went into the same stance Toshiro used. Satisfied, Toshiro vanished from view only to appear next to the Heartless. He quickly cut it down and started the fight.

There was a burst of power as Sora shifted into his Valor form, the red outfit, Goofy vanishing altogether as his spirit joined with Sora's to double his strength and defense. The starry second Keyblade came to hand and he rushed at Shan-Yu with surprising speed, Mulan not far behind and making good use of the techniques Toshiro had taught her. The man was unfamiliar with the zanjutsu style, leaving himself open to her quick strikes, though her skill still needed improvement and Shan-Yu had given both her and Sora their fair share of cuts. Donald was on that immediately with a healing spell.

Starting to get angry, Shan-Yu slammed the hilt end of his sword to the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked Sora and Mulan off their feet. He then spun, using the darkness to launch upward, and both fighters earned a nasty gash, Sora across his chest and Mulan on her arms from blocking her head.

Before the Hun could land once more, Toshiro darted underneath him and swung upward. His blade was blocked but Toshiro expected that and instead used Shan-Yu's falling momentum to toss him away into the courtyard.

"Are you two alright?" Toshiro turned to the injured.

Sora ran out of energy for Valor form and Goofy reappeared, kneeling next to his friend in concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Sora winced as he stood, handing moving to his chest where blood flowed freely.

"I only have enough magic left to heal one person; I've used it a lot." Donald frowned.

Mulan hissed as she attempted to grab onto her sword, the wounds on her arms making it impossible for her to fight. Looking at Mulan with concern, Sora seemed to come to a decision.

"Heal Mulan. She's gotta finish this." He told the duck.

"But Sora…" Goofy argued.

"I have Healing Kido, it's just not as fast as Donald's magic." Toshiro cut in, pushing Sora to a sitting position, despite his hissing protest, and put a hand to the boy's chest. Green light flowed from his hand to the wound and started the slow process of healing Sora's wound.

Donald cast his Cure spell before sitting on the ground, exhausted from all the magic he'd used. Now healed, Mulan grabbed her sword and stood.

"You still have a little energy left, Goofy." Toshiro glanced at the dog. "Make sure she doesn't get hurt again."

"Sir!" Goofy saluted and followed Mulan as the woman approached Shan-Yu, the man brushing his pain aside and stomping back towards the bridge leading away from the courtyard to where they were.

"Are you sure you don't want to help?" Sora looked at the Captain healing him.

"Think about it, Sora. We won't be here long so if we can give Mulan a good reputation she'll be a little better off after we go. She's got the skills to be a soldier and by taking down Shan-Yu she'll earn herself a place in history. People will respect her and her family will get the honor she was fighting for."

"Yeah, guess you're-ow!" Sora flinched as Toshiro's hand brushed against the wound.

"You didn't bat an eyelash when he first split you open." Toshiro rolled his eyes and continued his healing.

"Well…that hurt too…"

Making sure his hand stayed far enough away so as not to cause more pain, Toshiro turned to see how Mulan and Goofy were doing. The wound had healed enough that Sora wasn't under threat of dying and if he needed to step in he would.

Shan-Yu was visibly tiring out, but Mulan was reaching her end as well. Both sides were tiring.

"Can't you use Kido to help her out?" Sora asked, gaze focused on the fight as Goofy stepped in to block an angry blow from the Hun with his shield. Mulan skirted around it and struck him on his arm.

"Not from this distance and you're still bleeding."

"You've shot Kido farther than this."

"Yes, but from this distance I might end up hitting Goofy or Mulan just as easily as I hit Shan-Yu, it's too risky. Plus, Mulan needs to do this as much on her own as possible. Goofy is simply there to protect her."

Something hit the ground and Sora gasped, Toshiro on his feet in seconds as he whipped around to face the fight. But they ended up sighing in relief as it was Shan-Yu's body to fall to the ground.

"I'm good enough, Captain, let's go make sure their okay." Sora pushed away Hitsugaya's hand as the Soul Reaper attempted to continue his healing and instead stood before racing away.

Sighing at Sora's recklessness, Toshiro stayed put while Donald followed his Keybearer friend. He could sense Shang coming back out of the palace to see what was happening

"Yeah!" Mushu's voice by his ear startled Toshiro as he realized the dragon had somehow switched from Mulan to him. "Now that's what I call burning some hunny-bun! Mulan's the best! Mulan's the best!"

"Yell that somewhere besides my ear." Toshiro growled and knocked the dragon off his shoulder. "Jeez, for a dragon you're annoying."

"Oh just 'cause you have the 'mighty ice dragon' doesn't mean you can be all high and mighty, Reaper."

"I still haven't gotten back at you for invading my Inner World. I'm sure Hyorinmaru would have something to say as well."

Mushu gulped. After the last glimpse of the giant ice dragon he had gotten he knew he didn't want a full on meeting with the ice dragon of guardian legend. Soul Reapers were gods even to the spirits of the Chinese families as they held no allegiance to a specific country, only the Soul Society.

"Will an apology suffice?" Mushu gave a nervous grin.

"For now." Toshiro turned towards the palace to notice Shang approaching with an aging man he assumed to be the Emperor. Since this man was the ruler of this world, in a way, Toshiro had enough manners to bow politely to him in respect.

"Captain Shang told me about you, Hitsugaya." The Emperor said to the white haired child. "He tells me you're an exceptional fighter."

"That is all in one's opinion, sir." He replied politely. "But to be fair, it was Mulan who stopped Shan-Yu, not I."

"Ah yes, Mulan. I would like to have a few words with her."

Toshiro wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

* * *

**Wrapping up the Land of Dragons world, so Toshiro makes sure that Mulan gets her stardom and Mushu again annoys the Captain XD Meant to post this earlier in the day but I went to San Japan most of today dressed as a female Riku. Here it is, though. Enjoy!**


	29. Land of Dragons: Goodbyes to China

Shan-Yu's body had been removed from the city to be taken care of and Toshiro made a quick check for any more Heartless, covering the entire city in a matter of minutes with Flash Step. Once done, he rejoined Sora and stood before the Emperor with the others.

"I've heard much about you, Fa Mulan." The Emperor began.

The woman stepped forward nervously, pushing her hair behind one ear. Toshiro and Sora shared a glance, would she be okay? The former hoped his idea to have Mulan give the final blow on Shan-Yu would at least spare her from the death penalty.

"You stole your father's armor, ran away from home, impersonated an Imperial soldier." Mulan grimaced and bowed low as an apology, but the Emperor continued. "You deceived your commanding officer, shamed the entire Chinese army, and dishonored your family name."

"I think she understands the consequences, sir." Toshiro grumbled while Sora shook his head sadly. The Emperor glanced at him before turning back to Mulan.

"You're a young woman, and yet…you have saved us all."

To their surprise, the Emperor bowed to Mulan, to which she jumped in surprise, unsure how to react. Sora patted her on the back, Donald jumping up and down happily while Goofy gave her a big grin. Toshiro remained silent but there was the ghost of a smirk on his face. The Emperor straightened and looked at the Chinese Captain behind him.

"Captain Li?" He said, looking at the man expectantly.

After bowing his head, Shang took a blade from his side, which Toshiro realized was not his but Shan-Yu's. What were they going to do with that? The man then held the sword out to Mulan, her eyes widening in shock.

"Take this," The Emperor said, "so the world will know what it is you have done for China."

"Thank you." She smiled and bowed to him once more.

Sora looked at Toshiro to see him looking intently at the sword. Was there something he sensed? Some remaining darkness? What had the Soul Reaper so intrigued?

"Mulan." He heard Shang say and turned back to the man. "Sora. Donald. Goofy. Hitsugaya."

Those called nodded to show they heard while the last simply looked up from the sword at him.

"Thank you." He bowed his head to them.

"'Thank you'? Is that all there is to say, Captain?" The Emperor muttered in a loud whisper to the man so everyone could still hear. "If you wish to win the heart of Fa Mulan, China's Bravest Woman, you'll have to be more eloquent then that!"

Shang spluttered indignantly, unable to form words, and his cheeks turned red. Mulan giggled at that and he seemed to go a little redder. Toshiro rolled his eyes and turned away while Sora teased Mulan by asking for her autograph.

"Thanks for everything, Sora." She said. "And you too, Hitsugaya. Your training helped a lot."

He simply shrugged in reply, wanting this to be over. They'd been in the Land of Dragons for about three days now and he hadn't found a hint about opening the door to his world, no sign that it was the right place. It was time to move on and he wanted to leave soon.

Mushu jumped to the ground from Mulan's shoulder where he'd been keeping hidden and quiet.

"Now they GOTTA let me go back to being a guardian. They GOTTA!" He cheered to himself.

"But Mushu." Goofy looked confused. "I thought you already were a family guardian."

They felt the air grow colder and become rather oppressing and the trio who recognized the power immediately turned to Toshiro. His teal eyes seemed to be blazing as he glared at Mushu.

"So you're not even a guardian and you think you have the right to pry into my business." He growled in an icy tone, managing to hide what it was the dragon had pried into despite being furious.

"Oh, no, no…don't even worry about that." Mushu laughed nervously, backing away from the angry ice Captain. "That's real technical, ha, just for us guardians." He yelped as Hyorinmaru was pointed at him and darted away. Sora and the others seemed to find it funny but Toshiro was fully willing to use force on the tiny dragon.

He thought about giving chase just to let off some steam that a dragon that wasn't even a guardian had invaded his Inner World. Before he could choose to do so, however, the power he'd sensed in the sword grew stronger and he instead turned his attention to Mulan, the one holding it. It let off a familiar glow.

'_So the power I sensed in it was the same I sensed in the membership card._' Toshiro mused. '_Then I can find the items needed to open gateways quicker._'

'_**Perhaps the one that will lead us home will have a slightly different presence.**_' Hyorinmaru offered.

'_Possibly. If I find something suspicious I'll look into it. I might not need an item at all, just my power in the right spot._'

'_**Then perhaps the area you must be in will have Spirit Energy.**_'

'_I'll keep a look out for anything._'

Doing the same thing he had in Hollow Bastion, Sora drew out the power of the item and unlocked the pathway to the next world. The sword clattered back to the ground and Mulan quickly picked it up, examining it with extreme curiosity.

"Guess it's about time to be moving on." Goofy said after the light died down and Sora let his Keyblade vanish.

"You shall be missed." The Emperor said to them all.

Sora didn't seem to like that and rubbed his head.

"Is it okay if we come back to visit?" He questioned.

"Of course." Mulan replied.

"We will look forward to your return." Shang added on, stepping up next to her.

"You two play nice." Sora teased with a goofy grin and Toshiro sighed, latching onto the boy's collar and walking away while Mulan and Shang blushed, suddenly looking nervous.

"Goodbye you four!" Mulan called out, quickly wiping away her blush. Sora waved as he was dragged away before struggling out of the hold and walking on his own. He seemed to complain to the white haired boy but was seemingly put down in the next instant.

"That child sure is a mystery." The Emperor mused aloud, watching Toshiro take lead without any hesitation, Sora and the others falling in step easily as if they were fine with him taking charge.

With the group of four, Toshiro turned to Donald.

"What was the other world we saw on the map?" He asked.

"We'll have to check when we get back to the Gummi Ship." Donald shrugged in reply.

"Right, the ship." They saw him grimace before he put his cold, expressionless face back on.

After a calming walk they made it back to the ship and lifted off, heading for the other world.

'_Any more people, or creatures, that know what I am and I'm going to question just how good that barrier around the Soul Society is._' He growled in his thoughts before putting an arm over his stomach. '_I hate this ship._'

* * *

**This is a depressingly short chapter :( I just wanted to save the next world for another chapter. Enjoy!**


	30. Beast's Castle: Darkness Among Royalty

"Oh, Sora." Goofy suddenly said as they finally got through the Heartless infested path, reaching into his pocket. "Mulan found this on Shan-Yu when we defeated him."

He handed the Keybearer a small golden keychain, the ship now in Donald's wings, and he examined it closely. The actual charm was a golden yellow sphere with a symbol on it Toshiro didn't recognize.

"Cool! I wonder what kind of Keyblade this one gives me." Sora pocketed the Keychain for now and took up steering once more.

"What do the key chains do again?" Toshiro questioned.

"They give the Keyblade a special power of some sort. Some can be really strong."

"Hm…"

The world came into view, a forested land with a large castle jutting out. He vaguely wondered what the Soul Society would look like, with only the most important aspect of the world shown as the world's outer icon. Probably the Sokyoku Hill or the Tower of Penitence. Well, that said a lot about the Soul Society, considering both of those were for high class prisoners.

"Beast's Castle." Donald read, before turning to the other two. "Do you think it's THAT Beast?"

"Dunno, maybe." Sora looked excited.

"What beast?" Toshiro questioned, confused.

"Someone we met on our last journey. He's a good guy, just a little scary looking."

Several people Toshiro knew came to mind as Sora said that and he could understand completely.

"Hold on, Captain, this is the part you don't like." Sora called back and Toshiro obliged, gripping tightly to his seat.

The ship passed into the atmosphere and headed for the forest, the driver looking for a clearing to land in. Once done, the ship was set down and their Soul Reaper companion was quick to distance himself from the ship.

"He really doesn't like flying, does he?" Sora sighed as he quickly shut down the ship.

"Not on the ship, anyway." Goofy shrugged.

"He'll get over it." Donald waved off the issue and the three of them walked outside to join back up with Toshiro.

Said ice Captain was quickly getting over his migraine. It would probably take a few more trips before he was able to go through a path without getting one. As Sora and the others showed up he began heading off towards where the castle was at a slow pace to let them catch up.

"So what's with you and flying?" Sora asked as he fell into step beside the white haired boy.

"I'm fine with flying, it's just I'm not used to flying in a spaceship." He replied with an irritable grumble. In a mutter he added: "I prefer wings…"

"Hm?"

"Nothing."

Together they walked across the bridge leading up to the gates and pushed through into the courtyard. Feeling uneasy, Toshiro sped up towards the castle doors and walked inside quickly. Something was in the castle that made him tense, on guard, and he was determined to find the source and be rid of it.

"It's huge!" Donald admired as they looked around the large hallways, a stairway straight ahead that led further up to the east and west wings, the doorway in the middle most likely leading into a ballroom of some sort. Toshiro was used to the Eastern style mansions like the Kuchiki Manor but he'd seen a western castle or two such as this one.

"And sorta gloomy, don't ya think?" Goofy added on to Donald, shivering slightly.

"I wonder who lives here." Toshiro mused aloud, trying to pinpoint Spiritual Pressures of the inhabitants. They were all spread out, no one near them.

A sudden roar echoing throughout the castle startled them all, Toshiro partly drawing his blade in case whatever it was attempted to jump them.

"Does anybody else recognize that?" Goofy questioned, a smile forming.

"No." Toshiro deadpanned.

"It's the Beast!" Sora exclaimed. "Don't worry, Captain, he's a friend of ours."

"I hope you're right." He let go of Hyorinmaru but remained tense.

"Maybe we should check up on him." He heard Goofy say.

Something sparked the Captain's interest and this time the long blade was drawn, the sound of the sheath dissipating catching their attention.

"Heartless." Toshiro reported, using his sword to point out a Shadow moving along the floor, untouchable at the moment, and into a room off to the side, away from the stairs.

Nodding to each other, they followed Toshiro into a small parlor room. There was a fireplace inside and a velvet red carpet with a large, intricate design in the middle. A table off to the side with a white tablecloth held a floating red rose encased in glass.

"Where did it go?" Donald searched around the room before his eyes fell onto the rose. Fascinated, he began to walk over to it.

"It's hiding in the room but I can't pinpoint it." Toshiro closed his eyes to concentrate. "I think there's more than one."

"Oh great." Sora quickly summoned his Keyblade and kept an eye out for Shadows.

Teal eyes spotted Donald reaching out for the rose as if enchanted by it. Toshiro sighed and started heading towards the duck to bring him back to reality; he hadn't expected the duck to be a lover of shiny things. Just his luck, Donald could be easily swayed over for something like that. He'd need to keep an eye on him.

A Shadow rose up from the ground just in front of Donald, startling him. With a quack he backed away, taking out his staff. Luckily he'd had time to recover his magic on the trip there and was ready to fire off spells.

"Found it!" He quacked, backing up into Toshiro.

The Soul Reaper pulled the duck behind him as more Heartless appeared around them, trapping them in.

"As I thought." He grumbled, moving into stance and preparing to strike first as he usually did.

"Guess the ice dragons won't be much help inside." Sora said, standing back to back with the Captain.

"Not unless you'd like to freeze over too. Seeing as I disrupt the weather when I release Hyorinmaru, doing so inside could be…problematic."

"Swordplay it is, then."

Sora reached into his pocket and pulled out the keychain he'd gotten from the Land of Dragons, removing the one on the Kingdom Key and quickly clipping on the new one. The Keyblade glowed with a fiery light, to which Toshiro frowned, and shaped itself into a new weapon. The hilt was dark red and swirled with a dragon's head at the base of the shaft, the flames coming from its mouth being the shaft with the teeth shaped into a swirl of flames.

"A Fire type." Toshiro observed.

"Seems to give me a boost in magic, too." Sora added. "Okay, let's stop hanging around!"

He attacked the nearest Shadow quickly with small sparks jumping off on impact. It did indeed seem to do more damage to the Heartless and they went down much quicker. Not wanting to be left out, Toshiro quickly struck with his icy zanpaktou while Donald and Goofy remained as support. Occasionally the boomerang-like shield came his way and Toshiro would back off those hit and move on, knowing the sharp edges of the shield would make quick work of such weak Heartless.

Despite the speed and strength of the blade wielders and Donald's strong magic, they didn't seem to be thinning out the numbers. They were backed towards the table with the rose.

"Oh come on." Sora groaned. "Give us a break!"

"They are starting to get a little bothersome." Toshiro sighed heavily.

The doors slammed open and they assumed a larger Heartless had caught onto them. The one at the door was a large beast with fangs and horns, covered in thick brown fur. He wore pants, which Toshiro thought was strange, and a long purple cape. Angry blue eyes stared right past them to the rose before turning in a rage towards the Heartless, which jumped him. The beast snarled and tossed them aside easily and they finally turned tail and left.

"Just in time!" Sora greeted the beast as he approached.

Assuming this was the beast Sora had mentioned, Toshiro sheathed his blade but removed himself from his path, as he could sense much hate emanating off of him. That couldn't be good for him; there was too much of the dark Spirit Energy trapped on him.

Beast got close to Sora before shoving the Keybearer away roughly, to his surprise. He pushed the stunned Donald and Goofy away and Toshiro decided he wouldn't move away. When Beast made a move to shove him back he gripped onto the thick arms and pushed back, bringing them to a stalemate. Annoyed, Beast simply removed his arm from the small Captain's grip and kept moving, apparently finding the rose more important than the stranger in his castle.

In fact, he flat out ignored all of them, picked the rose up off the table, and left. Sora and the others quickly stood, obviously confused.

"I'm guessing he usually says hello, at least?" The Soul Reaper questioned.

"Yeah…" Sora replied sadly.

"Gee, do ya think maybe he forgot who we are?" Goofy frowned.

"With this many Heartless around, something must be up."

"Why'd he have to do that?" Donald quacked angrily, rubbing his cheek where one of Beast's claws had struck him.

There was a moment of tense silence as the trio attempted to find out what was wrong with their friend.

"I suppose talking to him won't work, considering you're all just standing here?" Toshiro pointed out.

"Ah, well." Sora scratched his head nervously. "I really don't want to get hit again…"

"We best do something." Toshiro started walking back out to the entrance hall.

Sighing, the trio slowly followed.

Once outside, Toshiro sensed a human's Spiritual Pressure up the stairs just above him. He turned to see who would be crazy enough to stay here and saw the fleeting image of a girl as she rushed all the way up and out of sight. Strange, he wondered what the girl was running from. Either them or Beast, most probably.

"Do you sense something?" Sora asked, noticing Toshiro's concentrated expression.

"More like saw someone." The Soul Reaper replied. "Just up the stairs, a woman."

"Well…" Goofy mused aloud. "If Beast is here in the castle, that lady musta been Belle, right?"

"Belle?"

"It's a long story." Sora scratched the back of his head. "See, we first met Beast in Hollow Bastion when that witch Maleficent still ruled over it. He was trying to rescue a girl named Belle. Maleficent had kidnapped her because she was a Princess of Heart."

"And what is a Princess of Heart?"

"A person with absolutely no darkness in their heart. There are seven of them and Maleficent was trying to use them to open Kingdom Hearts and cover it with darkness. Belle was one of those princesses."

"So you've had issues with people trying to get to Kingdom Hearts before?"

"Yeah, just in a different way." Sora sighed heavily. "Can't they just leave the thing alone?"

"Anyway, Sora." Donald tapped his foot impatiently. "We should see if Belle knows what happened to Beast."

The others all nodded and they headed up the stairs to the east side of the castle. To their annoyance, Heartless attempted to bar their path but Hitsugaya's impatience to get somewhere destroyed their ranks quickly. Once they were in the hallway where the woman, Belle, was he placed a barrier over the entrance to prevent them from coming inside. Thankfully they'd gotten through uninjured so Donald didn't have to waste any of his magic.

The four of them found the room where Belle was, the doors locked. Toshiro and Sora stood on either side with Donald and Goofy behind the latter.

"Oh, what am I going to do?" A woman's voice sighed sadly inside.

Donald moved out and looked like he was about to crash into the door, not having noticed that Toshiro had already knocked. So, when the duck charged, the doors opened thanks to the woman inside and he crashed to the floor.

"Hey!" He grumbled, pushing himself up. "Who opened the door?"

* * *

**Late night post! Ugh, anything to get my mind off my aching feet T^T The down side of anime conventions is all the damn walking, but it's so worth it.**

**Anyway, first part of Beast's Castle! Too tired for commentary, Enjoy!**


	31. Beast's Castle: Down to the Dungeons

Rolling his eyes at the duck's stupidity, Toshiro looked at the woman inside. She had brown hair tied back into a ponytail and a blue dress on over a white shirt with puffy sleeves, a white apron around her midsection. Didn't look much like a princess to him. Maybe it was just the purity of her heart that counted, not her actual status.

"I'm so glad you're here!" The woman, who he supposed was Belle, picked up the startled duck. "Donald!"

He struggled for a bit as she hugged him tight. She then looked at the other three at the door, Toshiro standing off to the side and at first going unnoticed, which is what he wanted.

"Sora! Goofy!" She exclaimed, looking very happy to see them all.

"Hiya." Sora greeted with a grin, Goofy waving to her.

"Put me down! Put me down!" Donald quacked angrily.

Startled, the woman set him down and fixed his ruffled feathers, the duck too dizzy to really pay any attention. She smiled at him and let him go before looking between the three of them. That's when she noticed their fourth member. By the way she looked at him, Toshiro could tell she was attempting to recognize him and failing.

"Oh, Belle. This is Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya." Sora introduced when the white haired Captain said nothing. "Captain, this is Belle."

"I could figure that much." Toshiro quirked an eyebrow before turning his attention to the hallway to keep an eye on his barrier. A few Heartless were sitting next to it, but when they leaped at it the barrier threw them into the wall and they withered away. Good.

"It's nice to meet you." He heard Belle say and turned to find her standing next to him, a hand out to shake and a smile on her face.

"And you as well." Toshiro replied reflexively, accepting the hand shake. "Can you tell us what's going on with the other occupant of this castle?

"You mean Beast, don't you?" Belle frowned, looking downcast. "I'm not really sure, we don't talk like we used to."

"Where is he?" Sora cut in.

"Probably in the West Wing. You're here to help, right?"

"I'm sure there's something we can do." Hitsugaya replied, stepping out into the hallway. If they were in the east wing, the stairs leading the other way were no doubt the west. Simple enough.

"Since we're here and all." Sora shrugged, letting the Captain do his thing for now. After the first two worlds he'd given up on trying to figure out why he did what he did. "So Beast won't talk to you?"

"No. He's been acting strange lately." Belle sighed. "The only ones who could be of any help are locked up in the dungeon. I'd help them, but-"

"Who is locked in the dungeon?" Toshiro asked. Just his luck, a detour.

"Beast locked up his servants."

"Why?" Donald scratched his head, confused.

"That's what I want to know." Belle looked a little more determined now.

"Where's the dungeon?" Toshiro stepped back inside next to Sora.

"You can get to the undercroft from the west hall. The dungeon is down there."

The trio behind the Soul Reaper nodded while Toshiro pondered how to go about things. They needed the servants to see what exactly was wrong with Beast, and the dungeon was at least in the west hall already. The Heartless could cause problems and being inside, releasing Hyorinmaru was a bad idea. Looks like he'd need to use Kido more often in this place. He'd used a lot more Kido on this journey than he did in almost all of his battles back home.

"Be careful." Belle said worriedly.

"We'll be fine, Toshiro's tough!" Sora grinned back.

"Captain Hitsugaya, Sora." Toshiro growled back, hitting the Keybearer upside the head.

"Got it…"

He followed his Soul Reaper friend back out with his animal companions close behind. The barrier was still holding steady.

"I'm leaving the barrier up." Toshiro told them. "We can walk out, but if we want to get back in I'll need to take it down. This is to make sure Belle stays protected."

"Alright." Sora nodded as they stepped out of the barrier. It fluctuated a bit but the caster quickly stabilized it again. "Hey, what kind of Kido is the barrier?"

"Bakudo, or Way of Binding." Toshiro led the way back down the stairs. "They're a series of binding spells that can defend, bind, or distract a target. A few can make you invisible. Just like Hado they rise from one to ninety-nine and increase in power as you go up."

"What's the third kind? You said there were three."

"It doesn't have a name. We just call it Healing Kido."

"The one you used on me back in Land of Dragons?"

"Correct."

They were back in the entrance hall and moving over to the West Wing whenever a pack of Heartless attacked, one of them being a large Heartless with enormous arms and a small armored head. Toshiro went in for a quick strike across only to find the big belly wasn't just for show, it served as armor.

"I see…" Toshiro growled, Flash Stepping behind it. Now it fell easily to his blade.

With those out of the way, they continued on to the west wing.

They came to a large area with red carpets, the sides lined with armor statues and high ceilings. It turned right from where they were with a long hallway, another right going up stairs though it was blocked by suits of armor.

"There should be a way into the undercroft from here." Sora mused aloud, looking down the hallway for a door of some sort.

They continued through the hall, fighting off the occasional Heartless, until they reached a door blocked by a large white wardrobe. Toshiro pushed on its side, easily moving it out of the way of the door. It wasn't all that heavy, at least to him.

"Guess he really didn't want anyone getting to the dungeon." He said, meaning Beast.

"Do you mind!?" A female voice said and Toshiro jumped back in surprise, looking up at the wardrobe. It had a face now. A face!

"U-uh…er…"

The wardrobe moved back to its original position, pushing back the startled Captain and in his shocked state pushed him to the floor.

"It…it talked." Sora looked as shocked as he was, as did Goofy and Donald. Talking animals was one thing, but _furniture_?

'_**Well…you need to get it out of the way somehow.**_' Hyorinmaru didn't seem to have any idea either.

'_Now that I know it's alive…I can sense Spiritual Pressure in it. That's not possible._'

Standing back up, Toshiro glanced over the wardrobe again. It seemed to have gone back to sleep.

"_Way of Destruction Number One, Thrust._" He chanted and the wardrobe was pushed several feet away.

She snapped awake and turned back to him angrily.

"We need to get through." Toshiro snapped quickly, hand still raised to use it again if she forced him to.

"Whatever could you want down there to wake me up so rudely, boy?" The wardrobe demanded.

"Ah, well, Belle said there were some people trapped in the dungeon." Sora cut in, noticing the air get colder, and stepping between the two.

"You're here to help my friends?" The wardrobe looked much happier now. "Well why didn't you say so?"

"Because I don't generally talk to furniture." Toshiro grumbled under his breath.

The trio sighed.

"I'm sorry I startled you." The wardrobe bowed her head. "Though you were quite rude about it." She glared at Toshiro. He just glared back and she quickly looked away. "Oh, I used to be human you know. Until the enchantress cast her spell…"

Toshiro looked interested now. Was this a curse of some sort? Perhaps he could fix that. He needed to hear what the whole story was, though, before he went around making it worse without realizing it.

"I was turned into a wardrobe when the prince was turned into a beast."

"Beast is a prince?" Toshiro blinked. Some prince he was, knocking his friends aside.

"That's right." She lowered her head sadly as well as she could for being a wardrobe. "Although his behavior was far from princely at the time.

Hitsugaya snorted; that was quite obvious. He turned to the door while still listening to her.

"What's this about a…spell?" Sora questioned.

"Well," The wardrobe looked very serious, even catching Toshiro's attention, "It was a cold winter's night…"

Sora and his two animal friends leaned in closer, eager to hear more.

"And that's enough for now." She straightened. "You can hear the rest once you've rescued the others, it'll leave you something to look forward to."

"The only thing I look forward to is getting this over with." Toshiro growled and stepped through the doors.

"Is he always like this?" The wardrobe huffed.

"Only when he's frustrated." Sora replied with a nervous laugh. "We've been dealing with a lot of Heartless and he's not used to things that talk that aren't really supposed to."

"I have a perfectly good reason for speaking."

"I know, he's just a little…well, he just wants to get home. Sorry about all that. See ya!"

"Hurry now! The dungeon is damp and chilly. Certainly no place for a clock."

"Uh…" Sora decided not to think about that too much and darted off into the undercroft after his Soul Reaper companion. Donald and Goofy were quick to follow, never straying far from the Keybearer.

They found Toshiro staring curiously at large stone doors that no doubt led to the dungeon. The room was small with furniture off to the side in a big, broken pile. Behind them above the door was another level with doors leading out, blocked by suits of armor.

"Something wrong?" Sora stepped up next to the Captain.

"That door has something off about it." Toshiro grumbled. "And after the talking wardrobe I'm not sure if it's friendly or not."

"Oh…"

Ruffling up his feathers, Donald approached the door with a determined air.

"Donald…" Toshiro warned, a scowl coming over his features.

The duck quacked indignantly at him before knocking on the door, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did. At least, not anything Sora, Donald and Goofy noticed. Teal eyes widened as the power of darkness spiked inside the doors, the eyes on the stone creatures carved into it lighting up seconds after.

"Donald!" His voice had the icy tone that demanded obedience and the duck was quick to dart back over.

And just in time as darkness seeped into the statues and brought them to life. The suddenly awakened door guards clawed at the ground, eager to latch onto them.

"Just great…" Toshiro unsheathed Hyorinmaru. "Everything in this castle is alive…"

"But this is a Heartless, right?" Sora looked at his companion. "You can still tell the difference, can't you?"

"It's mostly blocked by what they're hiding in, but yes, I still can. I can't really tell the difference until they start moving."

"Oh boy…"

The door guards growled and hit their fists together before looking at their opponents hungrily. Toshiro didn't dare do anything drastic in case the prisoners were beyond the door, not to mention the small room was hardly enough room to do even his weakest attack, though releasing Shikai itself would freeze the room solid and probably everyone inside but him.

He was starting to dislike this world.

* * *

**Yeah, i'd be pretty freaked out to if a wardrobe started talking to me... *looks around room at furniture* Haha, anyway, the tight halls are really restricting what Shiro can do and he's known for the massive ice dragons he makes and the tons of ice, plus he goes into Shikai really fast, so this castle is confining him. Hence his irritation.**


	32. Beast's Castle: Rescue the Furniture

"This is really starting to irritate me." Toshiro sighed, lifting a hand. "Sora, try to use the Keyblade to get it out of the door."

"We'll have to wear it down first." Sora replied. "I've had to do this before; they won't come out until we exhaust them."

"Outstanding…"

Scowling, Toshiro let his Spiritual Pressure rise. Ice started to seep on every available surface and Donald had to use his warming spell on those not used to such cold. They hadn't realized just how irritated their companion was. Was it because he was stuck in a small space, unable to use his powers?

The Heartless shuddered as the ice started to seep onto their doors, the spiritual power starting to separate them from their object.

"Do it now." Toshiro ordered.

Nodding, Sora lifted the fiery Keyblade up with the point end facing the possessed door.

"Blizzard!" Donald shouting, shooting his own ice spell at the doors to assist. The Heartless further weakened and began to grow sluggish.

"Got it!" Sora shot a beam of light out from the Keyblade's tip.

The door guards spasmed a moment before a ball of darkness shot out from the doors, heading up high to escape the cold. More Heartless appeared, coming to see what kind of power was creating the ice and looking to consume it. Annoyed, Toshiro tapped the tip of his blade to the ground and froze the floor so anything made of darkness, such as Heartless, were frozen solid. Goofy used his shield to break these ice statues while Donald cast a spell on the floating ball of darkness.

It darted back towards the door, trying to once more possess its more powerful form.

"_Way of Destruction Number Thirty-One, Red Fire Cannon!_"

The fireball slammed right into the back of the dark creature and severely wounded it, sending it off course and hitting the wall instead of its chosen destination. It rebounded back to the center where one quick stroke of a zanpaktou finished it off.

That done, Toshiro reigned his power back in so the Heartless would stop coming towards him. Once all the ice was melted and the room back to its normal chilly temperature, no more Heartless came and they could finally head into the dungeon. The stone creatures on the door turned to ash and vanished.

"I'm sure the people inside would like to come out of there."

"The wardrobe said something about a clock." Sora mused aloud and Toshiro grimaced; more people turned furniture.

"C'mon, we gotta set those servants free!" Goofy moved towards the door.

Sora was quick to take the other door and they shoved them open. Toshiro hung back, searching for any Spirit Energy signals inside. It seemed there were three or four there; he couldn't pinpoint the right number. Donald stepped inside and looked around.

"There's nobody here." Sora frowned, looking into the small room.

"Yes there is." Toshiro finally stepped inside, glancing at several tiny figures.

There was a teapot, a candle holder, and a clock. He thought he saw a tea cup too but it shifted out of his view, making him think he'd imagined it.

"Where?" Donald grumbled, searching the room carefully.

"Honestly, we just talked to a wardrobe." Toshiro heaved a sigh before gesturing to the figures sitting atop the chairs. "They're the ones we're rescuing."

"Did someone say rescue?" The candle holder came to life with a grin, his voice heavily accented with French.

"Shhh." The clock barely moved as he said this. "It might be THEM."

"Oh, they look like nice boys to me." The pot opened her eyes and gave a kind smile.

"Well, we are." Sora grinned back, motioning to Donald and Goofy as well as himself. "Captain Hitsugaya is a little grumpy."

"You're funny." Toshiro growled at him. "Anyway, while I like the cold, I don't think they particularly enjoy it. Might want to get a move on. Belle is worried about them."

"Belle sent you?" The clock finally moved from his still position and jumped from the chair, as did the others. Toshiro noticed there was indeed a tea cup with the pot.

"Yes."

"Hey, how come you guys are all like that?" Sora scratched his head. "Did you guys get cursed too?"

"Yes, that's right." The clock nodded his head sadly. "You see-ah! Put me down!"

Fascinated, Donald had rushed forward and picked up the clock, examining it closely with a look of wonder.

"I am self-winding, sir!" The clock grumbled.

A hand rescued him from the duck's wings and the clock man looked up to see Toshiro.

"He's trying to explain." The Soul Reaper frowned at the duck.

Donald frowned back at him but relented, leaving the clock alone for now.

"Ah, it seems so long ago." The candle sighed.

"It was a cold winter's night." The pot continued, expression sad. "An old beggar woman came to the castle asking for shelter."

"The master of this castle," The clock now continued the story, "that is to say, the Prince, turned her away. All because of her, ahem, meager appearance."

"That's awful." Goofy complained, Toshiro nodding his consent.

"Oui." The candle nodded. "He was a spoiled prince, so selfish and…how shall I say….cruel."

"Lumiere!" The clock man snapped. Lumiere just shrugged.

"The old woman warned our master not to be deceived by appearances." The pot carried on the story for them. "Still, he would not take her in."

"Then, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress." The clock cleared his throat as he continued.

"She turned the prince into a beast, a form she thought fitting for his cold heart."

'_**If the same happened to you, would you turn into me?**_' Hyorinmaru teased.

'_I'd at least be more terrifying than Beast is. Then again, I'm not one to turn away people just because they look ugly._'

'_**That is a good thing, of course.**_'

'_Now shush, they're still going._'

"And to further punish him, everyone in the castle was enchanted too." The clock finished off.

"Wow, that's quite a story." Sora put his hand behind his head as he thought about what all he'd been told. "Anything we can do to help?"

"Let's get the Enchantress!" Donald shouted, brandishing his staff with a determined look on his face.

"Idiot." Toshiro sighed and the duck turned on him. "How do you expect to find her, for one thing? And killing the person who cast the curse doesn't necessarily mean it will undo it. Also, I doubt she'd undo it if you tried to force her."

"He's right." Lumiere nodded. "We already know what needs to be done. But with the master out of sorts… It's almost as if he's forgotten how to trust others."

Toshiro tensed; he'd been there before.

"You don't think he's been turned into a Heartless, do you?" The clock spoke with a shaky voice full of concern.

"No, he's not." Toshiro shook his head. "Not yet, anyway. If we leave him any longer he might be."

"It's a good thing we're here then." Sora beamed.

Lumiere leaped back off the chair and hopped his way over to the open doors behind him.

"Follow me, messieurs. I know a shortcut." He bowed his head.

Now with the people turned furniture in tow, they made their way past the ice covered room to the upper level of the undercroft where the suits of armor stood guard. The clock, who introduced himself as Cogsworth on their way over, approached the much taller armor suits.

"Allow our guests to pass!" He shouted up at them.

With clanking movements and shifting of metal, the two guards moved aside and now stood guard on either side of the door instead of in front of it. Sora went ahead of them and pushed the doors open before leading everyone inside. They walked into a dark hall that led away and slightly upwards, away from the undercroft. The Captain assumed it to lead out to the West Wing if he judged its direction right.

"So how do we get out of here?" Sora asked Lumiere.

"I'm afraid it's not that easy." The candle sighed. "You see, the door leading to the other side is concealed by some sort of contraption."

"Of course." Hitsugaya pinched the bridge of his nose. "What kind of contraption?"

"Observe." Cogsworth brought their attention to him as he leaped up onto the handle of a wheel and his weight pulled it down.

Along with that came a lantern, hung on a chain from the ceiling. A dark fire burned inside of it.

"We need to light all the lanterns in this passage." Lumiere said. "But as you can see, they are already burning. An enchanted flame."

"Can't you just pour water on it?" Sora tilted his head in question.

"I'm afraid that's not enough, dear." Mrs. Potts, the teapot, countered. "But if you used the power of light…"

"What if I used the Keyblade?" Sora summoned the fire Keyblade to hand. "This one's even a Fire type."

"Let's try." Mrs. Potts shifted herself to jump, water ready to pour.

Sora pointed the Keyblade and light shot from the tip, taking away the darkness of the flames. At the same time, Mrs. Potts jumped up and extinguished it with water while the residual magic of Sora's Keyblade lit a real fire in the lantern.

"Only three lanterns left!" The teapot beamed.

"Piece of cake." Sora smirked, pumping a fist.

"Not quite so simple, mon ami." Lumiere added on quickly. "Surely you don't expect Cogsworth to-" He cut off as he looked back to where Cogsworth should be holding the handle only to see Toshiro holding it down easily instead, the clock man dusting himself off. "Well, take your time then."

"How about I make this go faster?" Toshiro motioned for Sora to head over. "You use Frozen Heavens to take out the enchanted fires and Donald uses a Fire spell to hit them all aflame. With your control over the ice dragons you should be done in no more than twenty seconds."

"Got it!" Sora held the Keyblade out to Toshiro and the ice Captain put his hand on the blade.

"Ice dragons?" Lumiere asked curiously.

"Captain Hitsugaya has power over ice." Sora replied as he removed the blade from said Soul Reaper's grip. It shifted into Frozen Heavens. "When he touches it the Keyblade copies his powers. Now I have ice dragons which he says are infused with my light."

"Terrific! We'll be out of here in a jiffy!" Cogsworth clapped. Twice he'd been rescued – sort of – by the white haired child and now he'd offered them a quick way out. He liked the boy already.

"Let's do this!" Sora lifted the Keyblade high. "Ready Donald?"

"Ready!" The duck had his staff in hand with a fire spell already beginning to form. He needed to cast it in quick succession the minute the ice dragon put the flame out.

"Keep them in their water form, Sora." Toshiro reminded. "Letting it freeze will just make things harder."

Simply nodding this time, Sora swung his weapon down and the sleek white ice-water dragon came rushing out. The three lanterns were easy to see and Sora directed it towards their first one. The dragon slammed into it but he prevented it from freezing over by having it move on. A burst of fire and the residual ice on it melted away, leaving a lit lantern. This continued on until the last lantern was put out, the dragon slamming into the wall and freezing over into large spikes as Donald lit the flame.

"Easy." Toshiro released the handle uncaringly and they started heading towards the other end.

"Awesome!" Sora cheered. "You make things so much easier, Toshiro!"

"Captain Hitsugaya."

"Right, my bad."

Together their odd group made it to the other side.

"Just push that block over there and the secret door will open." Lumiere used one of his 'hands' to point out the jutting stone.

Wordlessly their Soul Reaper companion obliged, the stone moving easily with his strength. On the same wall, a section of the stone wall sank into the floor, revealing a passage back into the West Wing. Now to find the Beast.

* * *

**Shiro makes everything easy, eh? The rescue was easy enough and so was getting out. Time to meet the prince...or beast...either/or XD Enjoy!**


	33. Beast's Castle: Waking the Beast

As they walked down the hall towards the large set of doors where Beast was, Cogsworth had them stop and wait. The others had left to check on the castle, leaving the clock man to assist them in finding out why Beast was acting so strange.

"Allow me a moment to speak to him, if you will." With a small bow in their direction, he waddled off towards the door.

"No." Toshiro refused, picking the small being up. "Something's off…"

Unaware of the boy's ability to sense Spiritual Pressure, the clock attempted to squirm out of his grip before realizing just what kind of strength he possessed. In fact, Hitsugaya didn't even seem to take notice of his struggles.

"What is it, Captain?" Sora questioned.

"A muffled dark presence…" Toshiro mused. "Just like with those black robed figures in Hollow Bastion."

"Organization XIII!?" Donald gasped.

"Must be, considering the state Beast is in. The only other person whose power was muffled like this was King Mickey…must be the cloak." He made sure not to mention 'Ansem'.

"Come on!" Sora was quick to dart inside with the others not far behind.

Beast seemed disoriented as they stepped into the ransacked room, the rose in its glass on a table behind him. One of the Nobodies from Organization XIII turned to them, face hidden by his hood, arms crossed behind his back.

"See?" He spoke in a low and somewhat bored tone. "She has accomplices."

"Who does?" Toshiro demanded.

The figure did not reply. Instead, he lifted an arm up to create a barrier between them and where the rose was, as if protecting it. He then vanished in a dark portal before they could do anything. Setting down the clock man, Toshiro reached back and grabbed the hilt of his blade, alert for anything. That barrier went up for a reason and it wasn't to protect the rose. It was t trap them in with Beast. There was only one reason to do that.

"Hey, Prince!" Sora greeted the Beast warmly, hoping he was still himself. When Toshiro had mentioned the presence of the Nobody he'd gotten worried.

"Back away, Sora." Toshiro demanded.

"But, maybe he's-"

The Keybearer's argument was cut off by a deafening roar, the sound of Hyorinmaru's sheath dissipating following shortly after. The prince turned beast could not hear them, not with the darkness latched on so tightly.

"Master, please!" Cogsworth pleaded, with no results.

"You better think of a way to snap him out of it or I'll be forced to fight him." Toshiro warned, holding his zanpaktou in its usual stance.

At the sight of the boy's deadly sword, Cogsworth paled and thought frantically for a way to snap his master out of his enraged trance.

"Hey, can you bind him?" Sora turned to the Soul Reaper, also looking concerned for his friend. "I can use the Keyblade's light to disperse the darkness and then maybe Cogsworth can wake him up. He is a clock."

"Yes, yes! That should work!" The clock jumped up happily.

Their joy vanished as Beast snarled and leaped at them. His charge was met with a strike to the side, blood beginning to seep into his fur. It wasn't a fatal wound, Toshiro made sure of that, but hopefully it would slow him down enough to let him cast a Kido spell.

"Distract him and I'll say the chant." Toshiro ordered the others. "He has a lot of darkness latched on so I'll need the full chant to hold him in place or it'll just break him out."

"Yes sir!" Goofy saluted and readied his shield.

"We're on it." Sora brought forth the fiery Keyblade, the icy one having run out just before they reached the hall. "With Hidden Dragon, this should be no problem!"

"That's what you named it?" Toshiro raised an eyebrow while lifting a hand and choosing which bind would best hold the beast in place. Most of the low level ones were out if the power of darkness was as strong as others controlled by it.

"Well, it looks like Mushu." Sora shrugged, pointing out the dragon head at the hilt breathing fire. As if that explained it, he darted forward and caught Beast's attention.

Shaking his head, Toshiro focused back on his target. Beast was currently growling at Sora before a small charge shot from Donald caught his attention, confusing him as he debated which one to attack. The wound he'd given Beast still bled, so he had to make this quick.

"_Carriage of thunder, bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six! Way of Binding Number Sixty-One, Six Rods Prison of Light!_"

Golden light flashed on the tips of his outstretched fingers before shooting out into six strands of light. As they approached Beast, Sora backing the others away, the beams flattened themselves out into thin pillars and slammed into the beast's midsection, effectively paralyzing him. He snarled upon realizing he couldn't move.

"Hurry Sora." The tiny Captain snapped.

Once again, Sora pointed the tip of his Keyblade at Beast and a beam of light shot out, hitting his friend dead on. The darkness was stripped away for a moment, leaving the creature disoriented, and Cogsworth hurriedly waddled forward.

"Master, please!" He pleaded again. "Control yourself!"

The darkness started seeping back in.

"Sora." Toshiro warned.

The Keybearer got the signal and sent another light wave over Beast.

"Listen to me, please, master!"

"Ugh…Cogsworth?" Beast blinked a few times as though seeing for the first time.

With the awakening of Beast's conscience, the darkness could not grab hold and was quickly extinguished by a burst of cold Spiritual Pressure.

"What happened?" Beast asked, noticing quickly how he was bound and paralyzed, a wound on his side oozing blood that matted his fur.

"Well, Master." Cogsworth stuttered. "Ah…you see...that is…"

"You attempted to kill us." Toshiro said for the clock since he didn't seem to be getting anywhere, removing the Kido spell while he was at it. Beast looked at him strangely, obviously not recognizing him.

"And you put everybody down there in that dungeon." Donald added on before questions could be asked about the Soul Reaper, curing Beast's wound.

"I did what?" Beast looked startled by this. It was quite obvious to Toshiro he didn't know what he'd been doing.

"Who was that guy you were talking to?" Sora asked, hoping their mysterious Nobody had a name to go by.

Beast racked his memories.

"Xaldin." He exclaimed once he'd found it. "He came from the darkness. He…used my anger to control me." He bristled a bit as he started to remember. "He took all my sadness, my sorrow, my pain…and he turned it all into rage."

"He brainwashed you." Toshiro corrected. "The more you let your rage control you the more the darkness took hold. Nothing was your fault."

"Maybe that's why you threw all your friends down there into the dungeon." Goofy spoke up. "You wanted to make sure you didn't hurt 'em, right?"

"I…suppose. But…" He turned to the white haired Captain. "Who are you?"

"Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya." Toshiro bowed his head slightly; Beast was technically royalty. "I've lost my way home and Sora is helping me get back in return for my help in his fights."

"He's a life saver." Sora smirked, putting an arm over the Soul Reaper's shoulders. Toshiro scowled and pushed him back off. "Anyway, Belle's worried about you."

"Belle." Beast perked up in alarm as the name brought forth more memories. He slumped, apparently remembering something horrible. "I've mistreated her…I've mistreated her and been so selfish."

"She didn't mention that." Sora scratched his head.

"She'd never tell anyone of my cruelty." Beast sighed heavily. "She's too good."

Cogsworth put a hand over his mouth and muttered back at them.

"You see, I'm afraid he judges himself far too harshly."

This time it was Toshiro who sighed, the smaller figure standing in front of the tall beast with not even the slightest hint of fear. In fact, Beast rather feared him.

"Whatever you did or didn't do is none of my business, but it's obvious Belle doesn't care or she wouldn't be so worried about you. All she told us was that you were acting strange and she wanted to help but didn't know how, she only had your interests in mind. The least you could do is talk to her and let her know you're fine now."

"But-" Beast attempted to argue. Toshiro raised a hand and he silenced, causing Cogsworth to let his mouth fall open.

"The minute Xaldin showed up your actions were not your own. Anything you did while he was here was against your will, so nothing that happened is your fault. You even put your friends in the dungeon to protect them as you started to fall into darkness. Following that line you were probably mean to Belle in order to get her to go away, thus protecting her as well. Am I right?"

Blinking in surprise, Beast simply nodded.

"Then tell her that and she'll understand. I'm sure Sora and the others will be going with you so stop whining and go."

"Wait…" Sora cut in. "Are you not coming with us?"

"I need to have a word with our friend in black." Toshiro headed back out into the hall, the others following behind. "I have questions that need answering and he's going to give them to me whether he wants to or not."

They shivered at the forceful tone and even Beast knew he shouldn't mess with this child. Call it primal instinct but he just knew this boy was dangerous. What's more, he vanished a split second after finishing his sentence and walked with them no longer.

"How did he…?" Beast trailed off, confused.

"He does that a lot." Sora shrugged. "But he always comes back."

"He's really strong." Donald added.

"And kinda scary, sometimes." Goofy muttered.

"Sometimes, but he's always looking out for us." Sora argued. "I mean, we've only known him for a few days, almost a week, but…I dunno, I feel like I've known him longer. He seems cold but we've seen him show a sense of humor, there's got to be a kid in him somewhere."

"He's a Captain, Sora, he doesn't have time to be a kid." Donald countered.

"Well…maybe we could help with that! I mean, come on. He can't be serious ALL the time."

"Get him to genuinely smile once and I'll give you a thousand munny." Donald grumbled.

"You're on!"

Unaware of this betting of him happening within the West Hall, Toshiro explored the outside. Xaldin didn't seem to be anywhere, most likely still hiding in the dark realms, waiting to emerge. He moved back inside and went into the ballroom, a huge space of grand design and, to his delight, big enough for his power to run free and not harm his comrades. He doubted Xaldin would be stupid enough to fight him here, though, where he had a space advantage. Then again, he didn't know what Xaldin could do.

He stood on the upper portion of the ballroom looking down. In doing so he spotted none other than Belle, looking around for something…or maybe…someone?

Just before he could leap down, a dark portal opened and with it came Xaldin. Uh oh.

"What do you want?" Belle snapped, surprisingly brave for a woman in peril.

"Nothing in particular." Xaldin droned. "I'm going to use you to fuel his rage."

"No, stay back!" Belle snapped. "You'll be sorry!"

Xaldin chuckled at her brave display of courage in the face of death. His laughter was cut off, however, when a white haired child appeared in front of the woman, long sword aimed at his heart.

"Leave the lady alone." Toshiro demanded, face expressionless. Behind him, Belle jumped back in shock at his sudden appearance before she recognized him and stood firm.

"Belle!" Beast's voice echoed from outside the room. "Where are you!?"

Toshiro heard Xaldin scoff and saw him lift his hand, tightening his grip on his zanpaktou and waiting for whatever the Nobody had in mind. With the man covered by the hood he couldn't get a clue as to what kind of power this man had.

"Beast!" Belle called back. "I'm in the ballroom with Toshiro, hurry!"

"Captain Hitsugaya." Said Reaper muttered under his breath.

Darkness rose above them, causing Toshiro to look up to see what it was and allowing Xaldin his escape, to the boy's dislike. But, now he had this new Heartless to deal with. He could get answers later. Well, first he had to get Belle out of harm's way or Beast would attempt to skewer him; key word being 'attempt'.

"I'll distract it, you run out through that door." He turned back slightly to glance at the woman.

"Thank you." She nodded and began running.

Toshiro turned back to the Heartless. It looked like a much larger version of the one that had possessed the dungeon door, but more corporeal with black fire and trapped in chains. Wild golden eyes glared down at its opponent, jaws open wide to eat.

The doors opposite him slammed open and the four others darted inside, catching sight of their new opponent quickly.

"Belle!" Beast shouted, spotting the woman heading outside and away from both them and the Heartless.

"I'm alright!" Belle replied before closing the door and heading to safety.

He sighed in relief. They were joined in a flash by Toshiro and the Soul Reaper held up his blade, the increase in cold signaling he was preparing to release the ice dragon. Well, the room was just big enough for it.

Before he could do so, however, the Heartless dove into the ground, spreading darkness across the floor. It spread upwards and consumed the entire ballroom, changing it into something almost entirely different. Toshiro smirked ever so slightly; the Heartless had just made things easier. Now everything was coated in darkness, which would actually protect it from his ice. Stupid Heartless.

Then again, it did have the ability to hide away in objects such as the floor and probably any other large object inside the room.

At least Toshiro could release some pent up frustration.

* * *

**Now they're betting on him. This'll be fun, hehe. So who can get the Ice Captain to smile? Let's see!**

**And we had Shiro shock the crap out of our Beast prince with a stern talking to. Now to fight that really annoying Heartless at the end of the first visit to Beast's Castle. I hated trying to get that thing out the walls and crap. Enjoy!**


	34. Beast's Castle: Ice Conquers Dark

The Heartless rose back up from the ground, strong waves of darkness coming off of it. But while the others all tensed, Toshiro simply challenged it by letting his own power rise higher. Cold and dark fought unseen for dominance. He was not about to let the creature get the upper hand.

He Flash Stepped back up to the upper level, standing on the railing and holding his sword out.

"Reign over the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru!"

"Frosted Heavens…" Sora mused. "Oh! The Keyblade, Frozen Heavens! Now I get why he thought it funny that I named it that."

Donald face-palmed.

The blue ice dragon snarled furiously as it shot off the tip of the sword and snapped its jaws around the Heartless. The dark creature broke free of the ice and merged with the railing, causing it to wobble beneath the Captain's feet. Toshiro simply leaped down below, twirling the chain-blade and waiting for the Heartless to show itself.

"Yeah, Fire and Ice!" Sora shouted gleefully, spinning the Keyblade above him and charging it with flame.

"Hit me with that and I freeze you solid." Toshiro replied stoically.

"Haha, funny."

"What's funny is you think I'm joking."

Sora frowned just as Toshiro leaped upward as the Heartless came back out of the railing, thrusting the chain-blade forward. A Thunder spell by Donald stunned it, allowing Toshiro to wrap it in the chain and force it to the ground. What little ice had formed shattered as the beast hit the ground and the shards dug into the Heartless. It shrieked and reverted to shadow, sinking back into the floor.

"These Heartless are starting to piss me off." Toshiro scowled, before turning to the others. "Watch your step."

"Huh?" Donald tilted his head curiously.

Toshiro put the tip of Hyorinmaru to the ground and dragged it across, creating a wave of ice that spread out along the floor. A trail of shadows fled from the cold before darting back out, revealing itself to be their opponent. Utilizing his claws on the slippery floor, Beast darted forward and struck a rib-cracking blow to the creature, sending it flying into the far wall.

At first the creature seemed stunned and Toshiro lifted his blade to send out an ice dragon. But then, it merged into the walls, its figure lighting up along the glass as energy was charged along the bottom. Expecting a beam to shoot out, the Soul Reaper cast a barrier in front of his allies before leaping up towards the wall in the hopes of freezing that and forcing the beast out. What he did not expect was for the dark energy to shoot upward as well as forward. He managed to block the worst of it from vital areas but his arms paid the cost of his mistake.

The Heartless took advantage of this weakness and shot out from the wall and slammed into the small figure, knocking him back several yards.

"Captain!" Sora shouted in alarm, darting to the boy's side.

"I'm fine." Toshiro grimaced in pain as he raised himself back to a standing position. "Just kill it. Here."

He grabbed hold of the Keyblade.

"It doesn't seem to like the ice. Use that to your advantage."

"Okay." Sora nodded. "Goofy! Stay here with the Captain!"

"Right!"

The dog remained with the white haired child, shield up to block anything that came their way. Once he was sure his companion would be safe, Sora removed his weapon from his grasp and charged their shadowy opponent.

With Beast at his side, Sora struck a series of blows at the creature, the ice that formed from each strike further weakening the beast and preventing it from fully merging with anything in the room, making it easier for Sora to just shoot it with light and knock it out of place. Donald's spells helped disorient it, though the duck took a moment to send a Cure spell Toshiro's way, healing his arms. Roaring, Beast struck the final blow and knocked it to the ground.

"That thing better be dead." Hitsugaya sighed, checking his arms to make absolutely sure he could fight again.

Darkness wrapped itself around the Heartless, not something Toshiro remembered happening when a Heartless died. Nor did he remember that darkness expanding into something bigger.

"Like a Hollow becoming a Menos." The ice Captain spat.

"Menos?" Sora questioned, now standing next to him with the others.

"I'll explain later. We've still got a fight on our hands." The chain-blade was spun and Sora nodded, lifting up Frozen Heavens. The two ice weapons were to fight together.

"With ya all the way!" Donald shouted as he and Goofy stood with them, Beast towering over them all behind Sora and Toshiro.

The darkness burst, revealing a wolf-like Heartless with crimson talons and a fiery red mane, chains dangling off its wrists and attaching together its ankles as it stood on two legs and roared in a similar manner as a werewolf.

"Any ideas?" Beast turned to the Captain.

"Most involve covering your ballroom in ice." He replied.

"Ice melts. As long as you can get this thing out of my castle."

"If you're willing, then, I do in fact have an idea." He turned to Goofy next to him. "You and Donald distract him."

"Yes sir!"

"Beast, if you would wound that thing as best you can."

"Gladly." Beast snarled, launching forward without further delay. Donald cast a spell that brought the creature's attention around where Beast could dig his claws into its side. It snarled back and attempted to knock the prince aside had Goofy not jumped up and blocked those deadly claws.

"What about us?" Sora turned to Toshiro, jumping from foot to foot as he waited to launch into battle.

"Follow my every word, Sora, or this won't work." Toshiro warned.

The creature was tired of his distractions and gave a loud roar, turning itself invisible. No one knew where to hit, Goofy not knowing where to block, and soon each one of them were thrown backwards under the upper landing. Beast was the first to get back up, realizing Sora and Toshiro didn't seem to be in sight.

"Whoa, it got cold!" Donald shivered. "The Captain must be planning something."

"Whatever it is, let's hope he can find that monster." Beast growled.

"Don't worry, the Captain can sense them." Goofy assured. "Just watch."

"Yes, stay here." They jumped as Toshiro was in their midst from seemingly nowhere. "My apologies in advance for this, Beast. I might end up doing some damage to the room."

"Will the creature be killed?"

The white haired boy nodded.

"Then whatever damage is caused can be replaced."

Toshiro darted away with Flash Step, once more standing on the railing. The creature was heading across the floor towards the animals. He waited for it to reach the middle. There.

"Sora, now!" He shouted.

Standing atop the chandelier, Sora jumped up, pushing all his weight onto it and forcing it down to floor level. He held onto the chain and pushed himself around before using his momentum to shove the giant fixture around in a wide circle. It slammed into the invisible creature, forcing it back into the visible world, before launching it forward towards the windows. The darkness prevented the glass from breaking but it looked like a rough blow.

Now it was Toshiro's turn. He appeared before the stunned creature and cut through the air horizontally.

"_Ice Dragon Swirling Tail!_" A wave of ice poured from the blade's tip in a large crescent and spiked forward, catching the Heartless on it and digging into the wall, cracks spreading over the darkness infused glass. The beast shrieked in pain but did not relent. Toshiro vanished with Flash Step once more; they'd expected this.

Breaking away the ice, the Heartless once more stood and launched itself at the first target it saw: Sora on the chandelier.

"Remember the phrase, Sora!" The ice Captain shouted.

"Okay." Sora held his blade pointing forward. "_Dragon Hail Flower!_"

A small white ice dragon curled around him as the Keybearer shot forward towards the charging creature. The Keyblade became encased in sharp energy that turned it into a large blade, which dug deep into the Heartless as they struck. Furthermore, a large amount of ice burst from the point of impact, spreading outwards and crumbling a few of the columns, shattering the chandelier.

The ice broke apart and Toshiro darted over to Sora, noticing with interest that the Keyblade had reverted back to Hidden Dragon. He was sure there was a minute or two left. Sora was exhausted and so Toshiro latched onto him before bringing him to his companions; he'd used up the little Spirit Energy he'd collected during training in that one attack, meaning he wasn't ready for zanpaktou techniques yet, just the ice dragons.

They all turned back to the Heartless as it gave a dying roar and dispersed in a vast cloud of blue spirit particles. Heartless only seemed to do that when killed by Frozen Heavens or Hyorinmaru.

"We…We did it!" Sora lifted a fist into the air in victory.

The area returned to normal, what was broken remaining shattered. Everything was fine now.

"So you think." A voice sneered and they whipped around to see a familiar black hood.

Okay, so maybe not everything.

* * *

**Okay, that annoying Heartless is out of the way. Short chapter, my bad...double update? School is starting soon, i'm wondering how i'm gonna keep posting quickly...well, there won't be any double updates, and I might not always do one a day, but i'll try. Enjoy!**


	35. Beast's Castle: Ice the Rose

Still in Shikai, Toshiro slashed his blade through the air and sent an ice dragon roaring after Xaldin. Darkness lifted up under the man's feet.

"Farewell." He said and vanished from the world.

"Tch, figures he'd run." The ice Captain resealed his zanpaktou and sheathed it at his back again.

He heard Beast growl and turned back.

"What does he want here?" the prince turned beast snapped.

"He must be with Organization XIII." Sora replied. "Ever heard of the Nobodies?"

Beast looked at him with confusion, wondering where he was going with this.

"When a strong hearted person gets turned into a Heartless, a Nobody is created too." The Keybearer explained. "See, the Organization…it's got control over all the Nobodies."

"On that note they were probably attempting to turn you into a Heartless in order to obtain your Nobody." Toshiro added.

"That's right, that way they'd have control over it." Goofy nodded his head, Sora crossing his arms with a single nod of his own.

Beast took all this in silently, simply pondering.

"You're alright!" A voice called out and they turned to Belle as she carefully pushed through the broken glass doors and towards them around the shattered chandelier.

"Belle!" Beast's expression lightened considerably as he darted over to her through the wreckage. "I'm…I'm sorry, I wasn't myself. I never meant to hurt you."

The small servants they'd rescued from the dungeon hopped or waddled their way towards the pair, the four world travelers watching from a distance.

"I know you weren't yourself, you don't have to apologize." Belle smiled gently at Beast. "But…" Her expression turned a little more serious, "I had hoped you might have changed a little. I wish you could start trusting me."

Toshiro was strangely reminded of Momo as he watched, of days in the Rukongai when he'd be having trouble with the other kids but never telling her about it, never asking for help, and her lecturing him just like this when she found out about it. Guess he wasn't the only one.

"Oh, I'm afraid time is running short." Lumiere frowned as Belle assumed a disappointed stance and Beast's shoulders slumped.

"What do you mean?" Sora asked. He vaguely noticed Toshiro's interest become focused elsewhere as he waited for the candle to explain.

"Remember the rose?" He questioned first.

"From Beast's room?" Toshiro said, looking in that direction. Was that what he was sensing? It had the aura of former objects that were the key to opening paths between worlds. He was wondering whether or not to go grab it. This one seemed to have a stronger pull.

"Yes, correct." Cogsworth nodded. "If the master can learn to love and earn love in return, before the last petal falls…"

"…the spell will be broken." Lumiere finished for him, Cogsworth looking a little miffed about that.

"Really?" Sora looked back at the pair. "You think he's gonna make it?"

"We think so." Mrs. Potts replied happily, her son Chip hopping up and down.

"Yup, I think so too!" Goofy nodded.

"I HOPE so." Sora shrugged.

The Keyblade suddenly came to hand and Sora looked at it oddly for a moment before realizing what that meant.

However, as he held the Keyblade forward, the rose back in the West Wing lifting into the air with a strong glow, Toshiro jumped in and put his hand on the blade, practically forcing his power into it.

"Captain?" Sora questioned as the wind rushed up underneath them and the crown of light formed.

"Just keep going…I think this might be the right portal."

The brunette nodded and light went up around the two. The Keyblade was blazing with icy-white energy that it dispersed into the air around them, turning the landscape icy, the ballroom outside dropping in temperature drastically. They could see the rose now as it formed the Keyhole. Skipping the movements this time, Sora and Toshiro lifted the Keyblade upwards together, Spirit Energy flowing even faster into the blade as it gathered at the tip and shot outwards towards the lock. The ice Captain was beginning to feel drained, the Limiter restricting how much of his power he could use. Would it be enough?

They heard the click and were bathed in light, the rose returning to its former position, and they were in the ballroom again. Drained of power, Toshiro fell to his knees.

"Captain!" Sora shouted in alarm at the suddenly very weak looking Hitsugaya, kneeling down next to him.

"I'll be fine; I just need to recover my Spirit Energy." He replied, slightly out of breath. "If that worked we should see Soul Society on the map back in the Gummi Ship."

"We should head back then." Donald glanced at the others; they all nodded.

"Do you really have to go?" Belle asked.

"Yeah, Captain Hitsugaya's world might be open now, we need to go see." Sora replied, helping the exhausted Captain to his feet. The Keyblade really had drained him.

"Now, no more arguing, you two." Goofy teased the pair. Belle giggled slightly while Beast scratched his head nervously.

"We'll see to it!" Lumiere promised.

"Take care, dears." Mrs. Potts nodded.

"You're welcome here anytime." Cogsworth gave a sweeping bow.

"Right, come on." Sora assisted Toshiro through the castle, waving goodbye with his free arm to the others. "See ya!"

"If anything strange happens, let us know!" Donald called back. "Like if you see Riku or the King, or the Organization!"

"We will!" Belle promised.

The group of four slowly made their way out and back into the Gummi Ship, Sora getting Toshiro to his chair and watching with a frown as the ice Captain slouched in it, looking ready to fall asleep at any given point.

"I don't suppose you have any food on you?" He asked the Keybearer.

"Yeah, actually." Sora grinned. "Not sure if you'd like it and it's not much, but here."

He grabbed something from a compartment in the ship and handed it to Toshiro. He recognized it as something he'd seen in the World of the Living, a grab and go sort of thing. Poptarts, if he remembered right. Well, he never really liked sweets, but it was something at the moment to tie him over until they got to the next world and hopefully got an actual meal. He needed one right now to help get his Spirit Energy back.

"Alright, Donald, anything new?" He heard Sora ask and turned towards the front, watching the screen.

"It's Olympus Coliseum." The duck replied, pulling up a close-up of a Greek arena. "Nothing Japanese there."

"Darn." Sora sighed.

"Wait!" Chip's voice echoed through, startling Toshiro. Still not used to that. "It looks like there's a world starting to appear further away!"

Tapping into their system, the chipmunks pulled up a visual, a world overshadowed but still clearly there.

"So we just need to find another spot!" Sora beamed. "Maybe there's more than one spot we have to unlock with Captain Hitsugaya's power to get it to open!"

"Or maybe I just don't have enough power." Toshiro muttered to himself, unheard. He hoped the fairies were thinking of something quick so he could contact his world and get the Limiter removed. Things would be so much easier, like finding a way back.

"Alright, time to go see Hercules." Sora took a seat finally and they started moving. Toshiro found himself too tired to strap in so he just shifted his position to where he wouldn't move as it shook.

They left Beast's Castle behind them and started heading towards their new world.

"Whoa, wait." Sora frowned, letting go of the controls. "Is…the ship moving on its own?"

Toshiro looked up. Now what?

"It's heading towards Hollow Bastion." Goofy pointed out.

The three of them locked out of the controls, the ship made its own way across the paths and back towards Hollow Bastion. They waited to reach their destination point, but before the ship landed, they found all of them being cloaked in light.

When the light dimmed, they were standing in the town nearby to Merlin's house, near the archway.

"How the Hell did we get here?" Toshiro darted a look around him.

"Must be Merlin's magic." Sora shrugged, as if that was normal. "Hey, at least we got to skip the bumpy part that you hate."

The Captain grumbled but followed behind him, the small pastries having given him enough energy to walk on his own. The sugar left a bad taste in his mouth, though. Perhaps Leon and the others would be willing to feed them.

"I wonder what's up." Sora mused aloud as they headed towards Merlin's.

As they rounded the corner they spotted three Soldier Heartless darting their way out of the house. Not good. The Heartless vanished into darkness when they spotted the fighters.

"C'mon!" Sora glanced back at the others before they all ran into the open house.

Upon entering they found Merlin sitting upon the floor, cuts grazing his skin, though these were healed quickly by his own Cure spell, and looking rather disheveled. The old wizard noticed them there and cleared his throat, getting to his feet.

"Took your time, I see." He coughed.

"So it was you who summoned us?" Goofy asked.

"Yes, yes." He coughed again, finally clearing out his throat. "But it seems I used up too much power in doing so, and those infernal Heartless…" He sighed heavily.

"What happened?" Toshiro asked, leaning against a column for support though trying to hide his reason for doing so.

"Ah, well, I happened to stumble across this in the Zero District." The wizard stated, holding his hand out and summoning a book to him with a poof of smoke. He showed it to the group and Donald grabbed onto it.

"Pooh's storybook!" Sora exclaimed, looking decidedly happy while Toshiro looked between everyone, thoroughly confused.

"That's right." Merlin nodded. "I know you're a good friend of Winnie the Pooh, Sora. That's why I summoned you here. And when I did I was attacked by the Heartless! Of course I fought back with some rather powerful magic, but then I feared the book would be damaged, so I…" He paused, clearing his throat again. "Now, just a moment, Leon and the others need to hear this too. I-I'd better go find them. Be back in a jiffy."

He vanished in a puff of smoke. Toshiro slumped to the floor and took a moment to rest.

"Why is that book so important?" He questioned the trio.

"It's actually a world." Sora explained. "Kinda…it's hard to explain. Anyway, I wonder how Pooh's doing."

"Wanna find out?" Donald questioned, opening up the book.

"Yeah!" Sora beamed. "Cover for me, okay?"

Light shot out from the book as Sora looked into it, enveloping him and dragging him into its pages. Toshiro stared at the book for a few moments, wondering how that was possible, before deciding that things worked differently on these worlds and just laying his head back to relax. He needed food. Well, if he remembered right, there was a food stand back in the marketplace. He could make it there. He was still holding onto the munny pouch from the virtual Twilight Town.

Leaving Donald and Goofy to look after Sora, the Soul Reaper went to the marketplace to eat. Once he felt he had enough energy to fight if one came to him, he started heading back.

"Oh, Mr. Soul Reaper!" A gentle voice called after him and he paused. "Wait up!"

Confused, Toshiro turned and was surprised to see the three fairies floating towards him.

"We're sorry for the wait, sir." The blue one said. "We had some…difficulties."

"Wait?"

"For the spell to help you contact Soul Society, of course." The green one chuckled.

Realization struck him and he fully turned to face them, pulling out his Soul Pager as he did so.

"It only seemed to work recently." The red fairy said. "Now, the connection may not be very good just yet, but you should at least be able to tell your people you're alive."

"The charge will only work for a little bit." The green fairy added on with a frown. "It should get better the closer you get, though."

"You've done what you can, thank you." Toshiro nodded and held the device out.

Together the three fairies cast their spell and the phone lit up briefly as it absorbed the magic before returning to a dull device.

"Let it charge for a bit and try later." The blue fairy said. He nodded to her. "Goodbye now!"

In a swirl of their wands they vanished. Now with a way to contact the Soul Society, even for a little bit, Toshiro headed back to Merlin's place. Hopefully the trio hadn't gotten into any trouble.

* * *

**Double update up! So we finish Beast's Castle and head to Hollow Bastion again where Sora goes to check on Pooh and Toshiro gets a way to contact Soul Society, if briefly. The connection will strengthen each time they find a spot that gets them closer to opening the Soul Society. Enjoy!**


	36. Hollow Bastion: Chaos with Books

"Honestly, I leave for five minutes." Toshiro sighed heavily while Donald and Goofy looked down nervously.

Apparently while Sora was in the book the Heartless had snuck in and grabbed their attention, forcing Sora back out. He, of course, jumped into the fight and the Heartless managed to grab the book, tearing the front cover, and by the looks of things pages were missing. Sora had gone back in to check up on Pooh.

Merlin had returned and had already been given the same explanation when Sora came back out of the book.

"Couldn't be bothered to wait for an old wizard, eh?" The blue robed figure sighed.

"Sorry…" Sora frowned, joining them. He looked rather upset.

"Anything different?" Toshiro questioned.

"Well…Pooh seems to have forgotten all about me. And not just me, all his other friends too."

"I was afraid of that…" Merlin grumbled and walked over to the book. "It must have something to do with the pages those Heartless stole. Find and return the pages to repair the book." He turned back to them. "This book is one of the world's most cherished elements. I'd been meaning to tell Leon I'd found it, but for now we'll keep it between us."

"We will!" The trio agreed. The Soul Reaper just shrugged.

"Good, good." Merlin nodded and stepped back over to them. "Now, the book isn't all that's cherished. Here, Sora, for you."

The wizard handed over a small cream colored stone with a baseball and a baseball bat on it.

"What is it?" Sora asked.

"Simply concentrate on it with all your heart, and you will summon an ally to help you."

"Like Simba and Mushu did, the last time we were here?" Goofy grinned, seeming happy about the stone.

"Precisely." Merlin nodded. "Now go forth with your friends by your side."

"Thanks, Merlin. We're worried about Pooh so we'll be back as soon as we've found those torn pages."

The wizard nodded gravely before waving his wand.

"Oh, yes, your Gummi Ship should let you teleport up and down from world to ship." He added. "I know the way through the atmosphere can be a little bumpy."

"Yes, it can." Toshiro said through his teeth. Merlin heard and chuckled slightly.

He finished waving his wand and the four of them were back in the ship outside of Traverse Town.

"Hopefully you won't get headaches anymore, Captain." Sora called back teasingly.

"Moving on, Sora." Toshiro sighed and the ship turned away, heading back out towards their new world, Olympus Coliseum.

"It'll take a while before we get there; have to go back past either Land of Dragons or Beast's Castle before we hit the path to that world."

"I'll be using that time wisely, then."

"Doing what?" Sora turned in his chair to look back at the white haired Reaper as he pulled out his Soul Pager. "Didn't you say that doesn't work?"

"The fairies were able to put a spell on it that lets me contact the Soul Society for a few minutes." Toshiro debated which number to call. He was sure Rangiku and Momo were worried sick about him, but he needed to let the Head Captain know what was happening. Well, if he contacted the Head Captain he would no doubt tell the others and those two being Lieutenants meant they'd be among the first to know he was alive.

"Maybe if we hook it up to the ship's system you'll get a little longer." Donald suggested.

"Would that work?" Toshiro raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, my magic will make sure the cord connects. Come on."

Since they were pretty much cruising along the trails, Toshiro felt it was okay to stand and walk over to the front, passing off the phone to the duck. The mage grabbed a few cords and cast a quick spell on them before attaching them to the phone. It beeped as the energy of the ship flowed into it. Donald handed it back to the Captain and he was quick to dial up the Head Captain. It rang for a bit…

"…_Yes?_" An aged voice echoed throughout the ship.

"Head Captain, this is Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya." He motioned for the others to remain quiet

"_Hitsugaya?_" The man sounded very surprised. "_Where are you? How come you never came back from the World of the Living?_"

"I'm still not absolutely sure myself, sir. Believe me or not, I'm no longer on that world at all."

"_You mean to say you're on a different world?_"

"Of sorts. I'm travelling between them right now with a little help."

"_I see, so you've been taken by the darkness as well._"

"You know about other worlds?" Toshiro looked surprised by this.

"_It was one of many things passed down verbally among the Head Captains, the fact that other worlds exist. However, most who vanish into darkness never return, nor can they even contact us. How are you doing so?_"

"On one of the worlds I went to there were three fairies. They were able to cast a spell that let me communicate but it will only work for a few minutes."

"_Speak quickly, then._"

"I don't know how long I'll be travelling but I've been told there is a way I can get back. I'm travelling with a boy called Sora, a Keybearer, and he's capable of opening paths to other worlds. The Keyblade is capable of absorbing Spirit Energy and if I can give him enough of mine at the right spot, the path to the Soul Society will be opened. However, the last time we tried it I don't think I had enough Spirit Energy to give. The Limiter restricted it."

Sora and his animal friends exchanged a glance. He had a limiter of sorts on?

"_You request that it be removed?_" The Head Captain mused.

"If possible. I don't know if the Department of Research and Development can remove the Limiter of a Soul Reaper on another world."

"_You'd have to be connected to the Soul Society again for it to reach._"

"If I give the Soul Pager time to charge I can contact you again."

"_Very well. When it is capable of contacting us again, contact Captain Kurotsuchi._" They saw Toshiro grimace. "_He will have the release ready by then…_" His voice was starting to fade out, they were out of time. _"…on guard…gaya…alert…_"

The Soul Pager went out and took the Head Captain's voice with it. Sighing, Toshiro removed the cords and returned to his seat.

"So that was the Head Captain, huh?" Sora started

"Yes. He's the one who rules over the squads. Thank you for remaining silent."

"No problem. Hey, if he knows about other worlds, do you think he knows about the Heartless and the Nobodies?"

"Heartless, maybe…it doesn't really matter. Once I've returned the barrier is to be closed again. We have our own manner of dark creatures to deal with, we don't need either Heartless or Nobodies added to that list."

Sora frowned slightly at that. Sure, he still didn't know Toshiro well, but he'd gotten used to the quiet genius's presence and how he'd come up with a plan to save the day in less than a minute. Perhaps if he could open the Captain up they could be good friends.

"So Captain, where did you live before you became a Captain?" He dared.

"Why the sudden interest in my past?" He heard Toshiro reply.

"Well, everyone is someone before they got where they were, right? I lived on an island with my friends, Riku and Kairi. There were other kids, too, and our families. That island was our playground and we'd always have play fights, wondering if we'd ever find something outside of our small world. What about you?"

They got no reply and Sora slouched. There went that effort.

"I lived on the outskirts of the Seireitei where the Soul Reapers lived." He told them and they listened with interest. "It was called the Rukongai. I lived with my grandmother and a girl, her name was Momo Hinamori. They were the only people I trusted."

"Weren't there any other kids around?"

"They hated me."

"What!? Why?" Sora once more turned in his chair to look at his companion. There was a downcast expression on Toshiro's face that Sora definitely did not like.

"Look at me, Sora." The boy demanded. "It's not normal for young people to have white hair, and my eyes are not a natural color. They thought I was a demon."

"Oh, um…What about Momo, then? She was your friend, right?"

"More like a sister." Toshiro's expression lifted slightly. "She took care of us. But then she went off to the Shinou Academy to become a Soul Reaper. I had to look after myself and Granny."

Sora frowned again; anything he tried only seemed to make Toshiro more depressed. Did the Soul Reaper not have any happy memories? No wonder he was so cold. He needed to change that somehow. To start with, he needed to become a close friend for Toshiro, someone the Reaper could trust. He'd make some happy memories for him, to get over the bad.

"Sora, we've got Heartless." Donald reported, forcing the Keybearer's attention forward again. They were close to the Olympus Coliseum and this part of the path had Heartless.

Toshiro strapped in and remained silent as the three up front battled their way through the Heartless ships. He had tried to avoid the worst memories, knowing that would only put the three of them in a depressed state. They were used to happy pasts and quick friends, nothing like what he'd lived through. If he'd had Sora's life, he was sure he'd be just as perky. Vice versa, though, if Sora had gone through his life, he would not be the same happy-go-lucky Keybearer.

The ship shook and he gripped tightly to the chair. Up front, Sora laughed at the close call. Once again the difference between them was apparent. Sora lived the life of a kid; Toshiro had been forced to live the life of a warrior from early on. He reached up a hand to his left shoulder where the start of a large scar was hidden under his uniform, travelling down his body to his hip. No, Sora did not need to know about the things Aizen had done to him.

Finally the path was clear and they came upon the Greek world.

"Alright, let's try out Merlin's new spell." Sora made sure the ship was steady, travelling in a slight orbit around the world, and pressed a new button that had appeared on the dash. They were cloaked in light and transported to the new world. They wondered what they'd find here.

* * *

**Because I love ya'll and school is fast approaching i'm gonna do another double update ^^ Try to catch up with my chapters. Yay!**

**I took note how on some worlds, the gang just kind of appeared, they never landed, so I made up this teleportation spell to get them through. Especially since you can't really fly into the Underworld anyway, which is where you start at in Olympus Coliseum. And Shiro managed to contact the Soul Society! We're getting ever closer to the land of the dead, haha! Enjoy!**


	37. Olympus Coliseum: Water Reaper

They found themselves teleported into a dark and misty cave.

"Are you sure this is the coliseum?" Goofy questioned Sora.

"Er…" Sora looked around the cave questioningly.

"It's that way." Donald pointed out a stairway that led upward into the light and out of the darkness.

"Oh…guess we were a little off."

The trio headed off before realizing they were missing a member, looking back.

Toshiro was looking at his hand, tiny wisps of icy-white light flowing off it. In fact, small wisps flowed off his entire body.

'_This place…it's boosting my Spiritual Pressure._' He mused, further suppressing it so the wisps vanished.

'_**This world must have some kind of connection to the dead.**_' Hyorinmaru rumbled.

'_Perhaps…I best be careful. This could mean something bad; I wonder how it's affecting the others._'

He looked up to see Sora glancing at him curiously, head tilted and hands at his hips.

"Do you feel anything strange?" He asked the Keybearer. Sora blinked in surprise.

"Well…now that you mention it…" Sora scratched his head. "I kinda feel tired. Probably because we haven't really taken a break yet. Come on, let's go see Hercules."

Though he narrowed his eyes at Sora's brush off of something that could possibly be quite serious, Toshiro went ahead and followed them. Once out of here the strange effect should go away.

A woman screamed and their attention shifted quickly to where the path branched off further into the caves. A woman with long, dark red hair in a pink dress ran from several blue, dog-like Heartless with spike collars. She fell over and attempted to get back up but the creatures jumped her.

Toshiro was first to act, fighting instinct kicking in. With Flash Step he reached the woman and knocked one of the creatures off while he unsheathed his blade, cutting down the rest. The one he'd knocked back whined and ran. He let it be and turned to the woman attempting to get her breath back, Sora, Donald and Goofy racing over quickly. Sora offered her a hand.

"Thanks, but…I'm fine." She sat up and turned to them. An expression crossed her face that made Toshiro tense, as if she'd realized they weren't who she was looking for to save her. Something was off about that. She stood and dusted off her dress before crossing her arms. "And who are you supposed to be?"

"I'm Sora, he's Donald, and that's Goofy. We came to see how Hercules is doing." Sora explained. "And that's Captain Hitsugaya, he's traveling with us."

Said Soul Reaper nodded to her before sheathing his blade, turning back to where the Heartless had run off to.

"You know Wonderboy?" The woman asked Sora.

"Yes!" Donald replied. "'Cause we're heroes, too."

Toshiro let a small laugh escape at that and the duck growled.

"Junior heroes, Donald." Goofy corrected with a chuckle and Donald growled more. The woman laughed as well, that suspicious glance from earlier gone.

"Looks like we have a friend in common. Name's Megara. Friends call me Meg."

"So how's Herc?" Sora asked.

"Wonderboy? He's duking it out at the coliseum every day. You know, 'a hero's work is never done', and all that. He's ready to drop but he keeps on fighting."

"A hero is not someone who continues to fight for a crowd." Toshiro shook his head in disappointment. "He's a fool for thinking that. There are no heroes."

"And what would a kid like you know?" Meg snapped.

"For one, I'm not a kid." Toshiro scowled and the temperature dropped again, Sora panicking a bit and wondering how to step between them. "I fight almost every day as well but I don't do it to be called a hero, I do it to protect those that need to be protected."

"You could say he's doing that, then." Megara sighed and Toshiro raised his brow in question. "These aren't just any monsters – special delivery from Hades himself."

"Hades!?" Toshiro's eyes widened. He'd heard of Hades, the Greek god of the Underworld. No wonder he felt powered up here, it was basically a darker version of the Soul Society. "He doesn't know when to quit, does he?"

"You know Hades?" Sora looked confused, as did Megara.

"Old ally of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, apparently, until his methods were deemed too sadistic and he was cast out. He vanished a little while after…guess he came here."

"Does that mean you're a Soul Reaper?" Meg looked at him in a new light.

"I am."

"Then maybe you could help me!" She looked very hopeful now and he tilted his head questioningly. "I was on my way to see Hades, see if he could give Wonderboy a breather. If anything happened to that kid…"

"I understand."

"So you'll do it?"

"Yes, I do need to speak to him. I never met him personally but I'd read about him in the archives, he's terrified of Soul Reapers."

"Really?" Donald's eyes widened. When Toshiro nodded he grinned evilly. "Alright, let's go!"

"Let's keep this whole chat-with-Hades thing a secret, okay?" Meg asked, catching their attention.

"Our lips are sealed." Goofy promised and followed Toshiro with the others to a large stone door covered in blue markings.

Despite their size they were rather easy to push open, especially for Toshiro, and they made their way through a large cavern into a winding pathway leading further downward. Heartless of course blocked their path, but they weren't any trouble. Toshiro actually stayed out of the fights, letting Sora and his companions do most of the fighting. They thought about asking, but he seemed to be concentrating on something else and didn't want to interrupt him.

They paused as a figure in black rushed past them, running away. Toshiro was quick to recognize the Spiritual Pressure of the Nobody and darted off after him just as Donald exclaimed 'The Organization!'

"_Way of Binding Number Nine, Disintegrating Circle!_" An orange thread shot forth from his fingertips, yellow energy swirling around it, and it quickly latched onto the fleeing Nobody.

"Whoa, not fair!" He whined.

Pulling on the end still in his hand he pulled the Nobody back towards him. The man attempted to scramble back to his feet when Hyorinmaru was put to his throat. They were pretty far along in the tunnel, so Sora and the others would be a few minutes.

"Just who are you?" Toshiro demanded.

"Seriously, Captain, your memory was always better than mine." The Nobody slouched, realizing he couldn't escape.

"Perhaps if I see your face, then." Toshiro used his blade to flip back the black hood. He could sense the man's Spiritual Pressure now, a water-based power that seemed…familiar.

The man looked up at him with cyan colored eyes, hair dirty-blonde and styled into a mullet.

"Ah, my hair used to be brown." He smirked. "It got lighter when I became a Nobody. I tried to style it like yours once but I can't beat those natural spikes."

"You…" Toshiro's eyes had widened in shock. "You've been gone for decades…I thought you were gone for good."

"Sweet, you do remember me!"

"Yes…" Toshiro hardly took notice as Sora and the others arrived. "Myed Mizushima, Thirteenth seat of the Tenth Squad."

"And classmates." The Nobody nodded. "By the way, I'm Demyx now. Not a Soul Reaper anymore."

"Why?" Toshiro's tone grew harsh. "You spent your life getting into the Shinou Academy and getting into a squad."

"Yeah, but all that work was for nothing." Demyx shrugged. "I was only following you, genius. I wanted to be in the fifth squad, Aizen looked like he would have been a cool Captain. How is he by the way?"

"Imprisoned." Sora noticed a hateful tone in Toshiro's voice as he said this.

"Eh?" Demyx looked startled. "That guy wouldn't hurt a fly!"

He yelped as the long blade came closer to his throat.

"Aizen was a monster. He tore the Soul Society apart. I would have killed him myself if it was even possible after what he did to Hinamori."

"Your sister from the Rukongai?" Demyx's voice quivered. "Last I saw she was infatuated with him."

He yelped again as Hyorinmaru nicked his skin.

"He destroyed her!" Toshiro snarled and Demyx cowered beneath his gaze. "He used her, and when he was done he came up to her with a smile on his face and stabbed her! When I found her he said he should have turned the body to ash so that I wouldn't find it, and he said it with that damn grin still there!"

"How was I supposed to know that!?"

Ice had spread across the black stone as Toshiro's anger rose and Demyx scooted away.

"Captain, calm down." Sora approached the ice Captain.

There was a moment of tense silence and the temperature started to return to normal, though it was cold there to begin with, and the ice broke away.

"Why did you join the Organization, Myed?" Toshiro's tone was emotionless now but there was no denying he was ready to snap. Demyx thought very carefully about what to say next.

"I dunno…The boss went on about this amazing world he was going to create and I was on the verge of becoming a Heartless anyway. You remember, right?"

"You never were much for combat. You were always asking me and Kusaka for help."

"Yeah, you two were the geniuses and I had a power kind of like yours…excluding the ice, of course. Anyway, he gave me a way out by becoming a Nobody, and I kept most of my abilities. I still have my zanpaktou, even, though she's permanently in Shikai now."

"So you just went into the Organization to be saved?" Donald crossed his arms, looking disappointed.

"What else was I supposed to do?" The Nobody snapped back. "I mean, I was gonna die anyway and I had no way back to the Soul Society."

"Captain Hitsugaya has a way." Sora cut in. "Well, we're looking for one."

"Seriously?" Demyx raised an eyebrow. "Of course, leave it to the prodigy."

"Are you willing to play spy?" Toshiro questioned.

"Spy?" Demyx smirked. "Ha! No way!" The sword came closer. "Okay, wait! I was on my way to talk to Hades."

"So were we, you can come with us." Toshiro grabbed onto the Kido binding the Nobody and lifted him to his feet. "You know I can catch you so don't even try to run."

"Aw, man." Demyx lowered his head sadly and marched along as they continued towards Hades' chamber. "Hey, is Hinamori okay? She was always really nice to me."

"Fortunately she survived." Toshiro replied. Demyx could sense a 'but' in his tone but remained silent. He didn't envy becoming the Squad Ten Captain's next ice sculpture.

* * *

**Did anybody guess it? Eh? Eh? Haha, Demyx is the former Soul Reaper! Bet ya NO ONE got it! Of the members still alive only he and Luxord didn't have back stories yet, and since Demyx's power is water I figured he'd follow around someone stronger than him in that area if he'd been a Soul Reaper, even if Toshiro turned water to ice. So there! And I gave him a name! Yay! Enjoy!**


	38. Olympus Coliseum: Rivaling the Death God

They came into a long winding path above a drop that led to a swirling green pool. Toshiro could sense souls within there and grimaced, moving away from the edge. In his grip, Demyx shivered. Donald quacked worriedly as he looked around.

"I'm scared too, Donald." Goofy shuddered. Sora looked upwards.

"Hades, come out!" He shouted, voice echoing throughout the cavern.

"Oh yeah, because the Lord of the Underworld will show up when you yell at him." Demyx sneered, attempting to hide his own fear. Toshiro just rolled his eyes and pushed him forward.

With Toshiro keeping an eye on their prisoner, Sora, Donald and Goofy were left to do most of the fighting. He would aid them with a Kido spell, which he'd learned were stronger here in the Underworld, and they made their way upwards towards Hades' chamber.

Toshiro sensed a sudden rise in a very dark Spiritual Pressure and tightened his grip on Hyorinmaru, Demyx shifting under his grip as he sensed it too.

"You know, I think I'll talk to him another time." He laughed nervously, trying to squirm out of the Kido.

"Forward." Toshiro demanded. "Sora, go on ahead."

"Right."

The Keybearer and his companions raced ahead. Toshiro turned on Demyx.

"I don't have time to babysit you, Myed, so I'm willing to offer you a deal."

"If I can get out of here, I'm sold. And it's Demyx."

"You can. I let you go and you don't bother us again. And don't say a word about our meeting to your boss or I'll be the first to have a go at you."

"No spy stuff?" Demyx ventured, cautious.

"Not yet, anyway." He undid the Kido. "Remember this the next time you're told to come after us. And remember that next time, I won't be so merciful."

"Sure, bye!" Demyx took his chance and high tailed it away from the chamber, summoning a dark portal to vanish into.

"Coward." Toshiro sighed. "Now to see to Hades."

Inside, Sora saw a black haired man in a large red robe swing his blade at the Lord of the Dead, a towering figure in black robes with blue fire for hair and a row of sharp teeth, eyes blazing red. Pete was in the corner with two small demons, keeping far away from the fight.

"You again!?" Hades looked somewhat surprised as he noticed the three of them there.

Using this lapse in strength, the man in red pushed the god back and dealt a blow across the chest with a large sword, though the wound healed straight back over without scarring.

"Fight!" He shouted back at Sora and swung again.

Snarling, Hades caught the blade and knocked the man aside with a blazing fist. Fire grew in his hands and he was about to launch it at the fallen man when Sora quickly stepped in.

"Get up!" He shouted back, hoping he was okay.

Donald cast a spell but it didn't land. Hades smirked. Scowling, Sora darted forward and swung Hidden Dragon at him, only for the strike to pass through harmlessly. He did this several times and the god simply stood there, laughing.

"Something's wrong." Donald quacked angrily as they backed away. Where was Toshiro?

"I feel kinda funny…" Sora stumbled a bit as he backed away.

"That's right!" Hades sneered. "See, that's the thing. In the underworld, Heroes are Zeroes – comes with the territory."

"And if the dead are to fight back?"

Hades turned to the voice and spotted black and white, quickly recognizing the garb on the white haired child. He scowled, not willing to believe someone smaller than Sora could be a Soul Reaper Captain.

"Beat it, kid." Hades growled. "I don't have time to play with Reaper wannabes."

"Hades, we need to talk." Toshiro walked closer, temperature dropping in the room rather quickly. Yup, definitely a Soul Reaper.

"What was that?" Hades put his fingers into his ears, pretending not to hear.

Hyorinmaru was drawn and Hades flinched back; definitely a zanpaktou. Not good.

"I hear you've been torturing the living again." Hitsugaya said dangerously.

"Oh come on, Hercules is hardly human!" Hades argued. "He's actually the son of a god, see, it's just I used a potion to make him mostly human. Now I'm trying to finish the damn job."

"He's still part of the living and it is not your job to kill him."

"I'm not killing him, I'm just letting loose a few monsters that may or may not want to chew his head off. No biggie."

Hades was starting to annoy Toshiro and this showed through as ice formed quickly under foot. It was doing so quicker than normal.

"I'm a Soul Reaper, Hades, I can kill you here." He lifted his zanpaktou.

"Ah, but by the looks of it, you're ice." The god smirked. "Come at me!"

A blaze erupted around Hades as he turned orange with rage and it quickly melted the ice formed.

'_Damn, too long away from the Soul Society and he thinks he can beat a Captain._' Toshiro scowled, letting his power rise as well.

'_**Let's remind him why he fears Soul Reapers.**_' The ice dragon roared.

Off to the side, the man in red was smart enough to see what was going on and pulled Sora and the others out of the chamber as fire and ice clashed in the air.

"I have no quarrel with you, Hades." Toshiro spoke over the roaring of winds. "All I ask is you leave the demi-god Hercules alone for a while."

"I have a hunch you don't even know the kid."

"Perhaps not, but this isn't the first time you've done something like this."

"You weren't even born in the Living World yet when I got cut off from the Soul Society. Plus, you're from the Japanese branch; I worked with the European branch."

"You left a legacy behind."

"Well of course." The Death God lifted a hand and lit it ablaze. "How could anyone forget the Lord of the Dead?"

"Enough joking, Hades, and put a stop to this."

"Nah." Smoke engulfed the towering figure and the flames dispersed, leaving Toshiro's ice to spread across the chamber. "I've got a brat with a key to catch, Reaper boy. See ya in Hell!"

"Sora."

Reigning his power back in, Toshiro was quick to dart back outside. The others had managed to escape the cavern of souls but as long as they were still in the Underworld, Hades would be able to find them. A few Flash Steps and he was into the tunnel, catching back up to Sora and the others.

He hit a barrier and jumped back, surprised, until multiple Heartless rose from the darkness and surrounded him.

"Honestly Hades, this is pathetic." Toshiro sighed and held his blade forward. "Reign over the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru!"

The added power of the world of the dead made the release effect of his zanpaktou that much more deadly, the normally weather changing cold instead latching onto the surrounding Heartless and freezing them solid. He spun the chain-blade above him and broke them all, the barrier falling and allowing him passage. He was quick to dart ahead.

Several times he was stopped by a barrier and forced to fight off Heartless, no doubt Pete's work actually, before he could move on. By the looks of things he was being separated from the others. It was a good idea, but it was starting to piss him off which would end up working against Hades once the Captain found him.

Though he never found him, he did manage to get out of the tunnels and back into the cavern with the large door. The others were at the doors, trying to open it. He quickly realized why that wasn't working; there was a lock on the door, a big one.

Toshiro Flash Stepped over to them quickly, sealing his zanpaktou.

"That won't work." He told them, watching as they jumped, startled, and turned on him before realizing who he was. "If I was an enemy you'd be dead."

"Yeah, thanks." Sora grumbled, his mood a little off put from all the running. He looked up, spotting the lock, and summoned Hidden Dragon to his hands.

"Will that open it?" The man in red questioned.

"Yeah." Sora replied.

He lifted the Keyblade up to open their door to escape when a loud snarl was heard, making them all tense and turn back to the cavern.

"I suggest you hurry." Toshiro ordered back, stepping away from the door with his blade up. The man in red wasn't far behind, his large blade resting on his shoulder.

A large hound with three heads bounded into the cavern, all three mouths full of sharp teeth and fur black as night. Crimson eyes, three sets of them, looked down upon its prey.

'_Shouldn't have sealed my zanpaktou._' Toshiro growled to himself, lifting said blade as he got into stance.

He heard the lock click open and the light tone of the light as it dissolved the lock before the heavy sound of stone dragging on stone reached his ears.

"I can handle this." Toshiro said to the man in red. "Go."

"I'm not one to leave a fight, no matter how strong a Reaper you are." The man replied. "I'm Auron."

"Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya." Introductions aside, the two swordsmen tensed as the three headed hound gave a roaring bark.

Toshiro put his free hand over his right wrist, keeping his sword up to defend, and chanted a Kido spell under his breath. Sensing the power forming at the boy's hand, the guard dog Cerberus snarled and pounced.

"I got it!" Sora leaped in, surprising the two swordsmen, and his Keyblade struck the creature's middle head, stunning it.

"_Way of Destruction Number Four, Pale Lightning!_" Toshiro finished the Kido, aiming it at the head in front of him, the one to Sora's right.

Not about to be left behind, Auron jumped up and delivered a striking blow to the third head's jaw. The hound staggered back, all three heads suffering from the force of the trio's attack. It recovered quickly, leaping into the air before landing with a heavy impact. Toshiro had leapt up in time, zanpaktou aiming for one of the heads, but the shockwave caught the other two, knocking them back. The head he was aiming for snapped at him, but he kept the jaws from closing on him by using his sword, the blade end biting back and causing it to yelp in pain and pull back. A second head came at his side but he deflected that one with the chain-blade.

"Captain!" Sora called out.

Teal eyes glanced at the Keybearer as he ran under the distracted hound. With Flash Step he was out of bite range and the three heads looked around, confused. Sora twisted the blade in his hand and struck upwards with surprising strength, knocking the hound off balance and into the air.

"Auron." Toshiro turned to the man in red.

He nodded and ran towards the beast.

"Sora." He signaled and the Keybearer turned.

Auron held his blade out and Sora turned his upside down, holding it to Auron's. The two connected and began to spin with Auron and Sora's Spirit Energy powering it, creating a tornado which caught Cerberus as he fell. The air currents were razor sharp and created a myriad of wounds across the black skin. The two moved away back to Toshiro's side as the beast finally fell to the ground in a heap.

"Impressive." Toshiro said to Sora. "But it is a guardian of the Underworld, I doubt there's any way to kill it. Let's move out while it's down."

"Don't need to tell me twice." Sora nodded and together the three of them retreated.

"Come on!" Donald called.

It wasn't any problem for Toshiro to get through and he took one door with the animals on the other. Once Auron and Sora were through, Cerberus getting back up with a shake of his heads, the doors were forcefully closed. A Soul Reaper's strength made it easy to close.

Sora, Donald and Goofy made funny faces at the hound as the doors finally began to close, Cerberus rushing it with fury in its three pairs of crimson eyes. Stone crashed as the doors closed and another crash sounded as a large hound barreled into it.

The first thing Toshiro did after that was hit Sora upside the head.

"Hey, what was that for?!" Sora pouted.

"Any respect you earned from the fight you just lost making that face." Toshiro grumbled and started moving off.

"Aw, you should have made one too."

"When Hades becomes a good guy."

"You can't be so serious all the time." Sora jumped in front of Toshiro with a grin on his face. "Start with a smile. Come on."

"No."

"Just a small one?"

"Sora, we have more important things to worry about." Toshiro pushed past him. "For one thing, Auron is gone, and we still haven't managed to have a decent conversation with Hades."

"Oh…right." Sora's shoulders slumped. "Well, Auron can handle himself. Let's go talk to Meg before we try again."

The four of them headed for the stairs out of the Underworld.

* * *

**So Hades has gotten cocky and Toshiro proves he can stand up to a god. Also kept in the Limit Sora does with Auron because I thought it was pretty damn cool. I personally like the end with the trio's faces and Shiro's reaction XD Enjoy!**


	39. Olympus Coliseum: Training Ice

The four unusual companions arrived from the Underworld in a large courtyard with high walls, two golden statues clashing blades over the doors to the coliseum.

"Gawrsh, this sure does bring back memories!" Goofy beamed as he glanced around the courtyard.

"Save that for later." Toshiro started towards the doors.

"Okay, wait a moment Captain." Sora once more jumped in front of Toshiro, the Soul Reaper quirking an eyebrow at him. "Before we go any further I want to see a smile."

"Why is this so important to you?" Toshiro grimaced, the exact opposite of what the brunette wanted.

"Why is it so hard to smile?" Sora crossed his arms with a huff. Donald and Goofy watched this exchange with some concern.

"I don't see a reason to."

"When you're with friends, it's easy to smile."

"I wouldn't call us friends."

"Hey, we've been travelling together so far."

"It's been, what, four days? Maybe five? It's hard to tell when you keep moving worlds."

"It doesn't matter! One smile, please?"

Scowling, Toshiro ignored Sora's pleading look and let his Spiritual Pressure do the talking. As the temperature dropped dramatically, Sora frowned nervously and started to reconsider the hostage plan. But he had to get the Captain to smile, something to lift his spirits…no pun intended. He thought back to what he did with his friends to make them smile. Funny faces usually worked, but Toshiro would probably just hit him again. A race? No way, the Captain had Flash Step. Sparring wouldn't work either; he'd just turn it into a training practice. Maybe he should just use the cold sarcasm Toshiro seemed fond of.

His thoughts were interrupted as the doors opened, Toshiro sighing in relief as Sora didn't seem about to move, and they all looked to see who it was. A tall, well-built man in Greek armor stepped across the threshold, looking rather tired. Upon spotting them, he perked up immediately.

"Sora! Donald! Goofy!" He called out and the three called waved to him, walking over with Toshiro trailing behind as he usually did when they met with friends. "When did you guys get here?"

"Hey, Herc!" Sora greeted, his animal companions not that far behind. The Soul Reaper remained quiet.

"You on another adventure?" The 'hero' stepped over to them and they met in the middle.

"Yeah, tracking down some friends, wiping out some Heartless." Sora shrugged.

"Junior heroes, always busy." The two males clapped their hands together in what Toshiro assumed was some kind of handshake. He was not familiar with it.

"You know it!" Sora grinned. "Oh, and we're also trying to help him get home." He motioned to Toshiro and the boy stepped forward and introduced himself. He wondered if he should start leaving out the Captain, especially when Hercules gave him an inquisitive glance at the title, since no one would understand what it stood for. Oh Sora would still have to call him that, and he'd make sure anyone else only used his last name, but it was easier than trying to make up an excuse for his title.

"Let's head inside and talk." Hercules led the way back to the coliseum. What did he come out for, then? "So have you found those friends of your yet?"

"Not yet." Sora sighed, putting his hands behind his head. "When we got here we were in the Underworld where we met-" His voice was muffled as Toshiro's hand went in front of it.

"-we met several Heartless sent by Hades." Toshiro cut in quickly.

"Yeah." Sora laughed nervously and Hercules cast them an odd glance, sitting down inside with Megara nearby. "So we went to teach Hades a thing or two, but the Underworld drains away all our strength, except the Captain's."

Toshiro elbowed the Keybearer without anyone noticing.

"I mean, he's a lot better at hiding it, so it looks like it doesn't really drain him. Anyway, don't suppose you have any ideas?"

"Well." Hercules leaned back as he mused. "There is a stone on Mount Olympus that protects against the Underworld's curse. The gods use it whenever they have to go down there."

"Think we could use it?" Sora questioned.

"Sure, why not!" The man grinned. "I'll go get it for you."

"Thanks!" Donald quacked.

"Real nice of you." Goofy agreed.

Toshiro was halfway paying attention, looking around the room, back turned to the others. Hercules caught sight of the symbol there for Toshiro's squad and he remembered something about there being a kind of entity that Hades once feared but no longer existed here. The name escaped him and he turned back to Sora.

"But Hades is no pushover, even if you've got the stone." He warned the others and could have sworn he heard the white haired boy let out a single, sarcastic laugh. "And I have a match today so I can't go with you…"

"You push yourself too hard." Toshiro turned back to him.

"He won't listen." Megara said to him.

Hercules laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. So even the new kid could tell he was tired, this wasn't looking good for him.

"Hey, you know what you guys need?" The trio perked up, Toshiro once more only half paying attention. He was discussing something with his zanpaktou. "Training! You should go talk to Phil."

"Good idea!" Sora beamed, turning to Toshiro. "Hey, maybe Phil will consider you a hero. And we can use this time for you to teach me things." '_And I can find out how to make you smile, dammit._'

Rolling his eyes at the Keybearer's boundless energy, Toshiro just followed the trio through the narrow pathway and into the open space where the fights took place, stone bleachers on each side empty of audience members. A large stone square was in the center where various golden urns stood precariously around the arena, a small half-man, half-goat creature going around to each one. It was him the trio approached so Hitsugaya guessed this was Phil. The creature kept his back turned to them.

"Hey champ, how ya feeling?" He asked and Sora paused, confused. "Better get some rest for tomorrow's match. Nobody wants to see a worn-out hero…capiche?" Sora crossed his arms and they all watched in amusement as he continued checking the urns and spouting his speech. "Remember what I told you. Victory in the games comes down to two simple words: Eat, bathe, sleep!"

"That's three." Toshiro frowned while the trio snickered.

"Who the-?" Phil whipped around, confused, before spotting Sora, Donald and Goofy and donning an excited expression. "Well, look who it is! If it aint the Junior Heroes!" He ran over and Sora gave him a high-five as a greeting. "Except…who's this kid?"

Toshiro's brow twitched.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya." He replied, noticing Donald tilt his head at him leaving out his title. "Sora's temporary travelling companion."

"Huh…" Phil walked around the small figure, taking in the long sword at his back and the white haori. Upon seeing the symbol on his back he took a few steps away. "And what does a Soul Reaper want here?"

"A way home."

"Oh…I see." Phil set it aside for now and walked back over to stand in front of Sora. "Interesting buddy. Anyway, how you guys been? Earned your 'true hero' wings yet?"

They all thought about that, trying to think if they had or not. Toshiro just sighed.

"Nope." Phil said finally. "You aint got what it takes."

They huffed.

"So, what's up?"

While Sora explained what had happened so far, Toshiro walked over to examine the various urns placed around the arena. Some were bigger than others, and though they were placed rather precariously, they were sturdier than they looked.

He paused as Phil let out a barking laugh, looking back at them.

"You three want to take on Hades?" Phil managed to say through his laughter.

"What's so funny?" Donald snapped. "We've got a Soul Reaper with us."

"Don't bring me into this." Toshiro growled. "Hades doesn't take me seriously."

"Duck's got a point, though." Phil crossed his arms. "By that white coat your one of the elites, and I know better than anyone not to be deceived by appearances, so I can tell that Hades has got one coming to him. But still, the Underworld IS his place. Better get cracking, boys!"

"Hey, no offence Phil, but could Hitsugaya and I train? He's still teaching me some stuff."

"A Soul Reaper Captain teaching a human?" Phil looked at Toshiro with interest.

"A lot of things have happened in the Soul Society." He replied. "Something that should be told at a later time. Besides, Sora has potential, and he is my ride home."

Phil chuckled a bit.

"Alright, but you break it you fix it, Reaper!" The half-goat-man walked away inside.

"Okay!" Sora summoned his Keyblade and held it out, eager to learn more from his icy friend. "Let's try to have some fun with this, huh Toshiro?"

"Sora." Toshiro warned.

"Fine, Captain Hitsugaya."

Said Captain narrowed his eyes at him but put his hand to Hidden Dragon and let it absorb his Spirit Energy, of which he had a little extra thanks to the Underworld. It had been starting to bug him and this training was a perfect way to release some of what he'd kept pent up.

Toshiro glanced at the urns around the field while keeping a count on how long he'd been holding the Keyblade. It seemed Sora learned best through 'games' of a sort…so perhaps there was a better way to teach him than strict training, a way the boy would be more interested in.

'_**You just want to have fun.**_' Hyorinmaru snorted.

'_I do not! Sora learns better this way, and the faster he learns how to control our powers the better._'

Pushing the dragon's amusement aside, Toshiro let go of the Keyblade at thirty seconds, and looked back at its owner.

"Sora, how about a game?"

The brunette beamed, eager to hear what the game was.

"Since Phil already has these urns set up, we'll use them. How many can you hit before you lose control of the ice dragon?" The white haired Captain had noticed that after a certain point, Sora couldn't control the dragon as well. It was tiresome to keep it going, even Toshiro didn't use one dragon for long, letting it hit before either using another one or going in for a sword strike.

"Alright, challenge accepted!"

"I gotta see this." Phil stood to the side with Donald and Goofy.

Sora summoned the white dragon and quickly launched it forwards. Turns out the urns were VERY sturdy as they flew off the platform but did not break. Hitsugaya kept count of how many were hit out.

"Twenty-three out of fifty, almost half." Toshiro said once the dragon finally faltered and hit the ground, shooting up in various spikes. Sora quickly broke it away. "Impressive."

"Yeah! I bet Hyorinmaru thinks I'm pretty good, too."

Toshiro let a small smirk through and Sora grinned wider; he was getting close, it was almost a smile. Lifting his zanpaktou, the white haired Captain slashed through the air and his much larger, icy blue dragon shot forward across the arena. In half the time it took Sora he'd knocked out the remaining twenty-seven urns, even cracking a few, before the dragon hit the floor and froze over the earth on the platform.

"Aw…" Sora shoulders slumped. Clearly he had a long way to go.

"I think I've figured something out." Toshiro said and the brunette turned to look at him. "The amount of power in your attacks is half that of mine, probably because it's only copying my zanpaktou."

"I'm telling ya, this kid can't surpass a Soul Reaper." Phil patted Sora on the leg and the Keybearer scowled.

"Don't underestimate him, he has enough control over those powers to match that of a Seventh Seat, but he does have a long way to go." Toshiro looked from the goat-man to Sora. "It's your lack of Spirit Energy that weakens the attacks; the Keyblade is preventing you from being spiritually harmed by lowering the amount of power in them."

"How do I raise my Spirit Energy?"

"That's something that takes time." Toshiro watched in amusement as the boy slumped again.

Their talk was interrupted as Hercules stepped towards them. Had he already gotten the stone? Well, time to go see Hades again.

* * *

**So close, Sora, so close. You'll get him to smile yet. Shiro gets a little friendlier as the story goes on, as a guest reviewer has told me he's been kind of an ass this while time. Of course he is, he wants to get home, and he's not the friendliest of characters for a Disney game. Oh well, he/she had a point, but i'm sticking to what I've got, cuz he does end up getting a little nicer with Sora's guidance. Enjoy!**


	40. Olympus Coliseum: Ice vs Water

Hercules approached them all and Phil was the first to step up and speak.

"Listen, I gotta take off for a bit." He said.

"Where to?" Sora questioned.

"None of your beeswax." The creature replied with a huff before quickly leaving, Sora sticking his tongue out after him. He was rewarded with a hit to the back of his head.

"Hey, what happened to the arena?" Hercules looked behind them at the frozen area. "Wasn't the Ice Titan, was it?"

"Nah, just the Captain." Sora snickered, nudging said Captain.

"Keep that up and I'll let you melt it." Toshiro snapped at him and the Keybearer quickly stopped. "My apologies." He then said to Hercules.

"No, it's okay, as long as it wasn't another monster." The tall man laughed. "Anyway, sorry guys, but the Olympus Stone was stolen."

"What!?" Sora reeled back.

"By who?" Goofy asked, looking concerned.

"We don't know who did it yet." Hercules sighed. "All we're sure of is that it was a guy in a black-hooded cloak."

Toshiro groaned and face-palmed, apparently knowing who it was.

"Someone you know?" Hercules questioned.

"I'm rather sure, but there's no way to say for certain." The boy replied.

"Hey, if we get the stone back, could we borrow it for a while?" Sora asked.

"Sure." The demi-god shrugged. "Hey, have you guys seen Meg anywhere?"

They shook their heads.

Toshiro suddenly tensed, aware of a presence they couldn't see yet. When his hand shot to the hilt of his zanpaktou, Sora was quick to summon his Keyblade back, Frozen Heavens still in place.

"What's wrong, hero-ness?" A dark voice sneered. "Feeling a little under the weather?"

A blue hand rested on Hercules' shoulder and the hero quickly flinched back, standing next to them.

"You know, I thought staying in top shape was part of a hero's job description, you know what I'm saying?"

"Sora, if you will all stand back." Toshiro said dangerously under his breath.

Hearing that tone, Sora moved back with the others, but Hercules stubbornly stayed put. Well, he was a demi-god.

"Hades, we need to talk." Toshiro let his Spiritual Pressure rise and the air became frigid. The Lord of the Dead frowned and glanced at him warily.

"Whoa there, I've got some rather interesting news, here." Hades said with a flourish of his hands. "See, it seems Wonderboy's sweet little Nutmeg went and got herself lost in the Underworld."

"Lost? I doubt that." Toshiro snorted, holding up his zanpaktou.

"You kidnapped her!" Hercules spat.

"Well, maybe…but why get caught up in the details?" Hades chuckled. The air got ever colder and he frowned. That was way too much power for one kid.

"Reign over the Frosted Heavens," Toshiro saw Hades gulp and dark clouds began to gather overhead, "Hyorinmaru!"

"Goodness, little chilly here."

An ice dragon was sent hurtling towards the Lord of the Dead. He quickly vanished in a puff of smoke and flame and reappeared elsewhere.

"You should remember why you feared the Soul Reapers." Toshiro growled at him. "Return Megara, now."

"That's it?" Hades questioned. "That's all you want?"

He got no reply other than a chain-blade being thrown his way. This startled the god, he hadn't seen it thrown, and it quickly wrapped around him several times before tightening harshly. He could not get away now.

"Now, see, I can't very well return the girl with me tied up like this." Hades pointed out, though his smirk was strained. Ice started spreading over him. "Whoa, hey now! Fine, I'll tell you where she is, at least.

The boy said nothing, simply waited.

"Go through the green door back down in the Underworld and just follow that path. She's at the end."

Sora and the others began to leave, Hercules with them, when Hades spoke up again.

"Oi, Wonderboy." He called out and the group paused. "You have a match today, remember. Against the bloodthirsty Hydra!"

The chain tightened and he looked back at Toshiro.

"Call off your beast." He growled.

"Still tied up, Captain."

"Fine." Toshiro looked back at the others. "Go on, I'll fight the Hydra."

"Ah, are you sure that's a good idea?" Hades brought attention back to him. "The Hydra is a lizard, it won't come near the cold, so it may just end up…hm, oh, I don't know, ransacking the town instead. And the people wanna see the 'Mighty Hercules'! Not some brat with a sword taller than he is."

"This brat can kill you at any time." Toshiro scowled fiercely. "I may not know what game you're playing, Hades, but I sure as Hell won't stand for it." He pulled on the chain and the ice started to crack, Hades hissing a bit as it cut through skin. "Whatever you're trying to do with Megara as bait, I'm not going to let it happen."

Hades snarled at him. Then, the ice broke off, a few wounds left on the god's blue skin, and the chain-blade began to unravel, not before leaving a good sized gash across the figure's back as it uncurled. Furious but smart enough to see he was outmatched, at the moment, Hades quickly left.

"I leave things to you, Soul Reaper." Hercules said to the white haired boy. "Save Meg, please."

"Don't worry about us." Toshiro replied, sealing his blade and reaching into his pocket for his Soul Pager. "You kill that Hydra. Be careful, cut off one head and another grows back. Either go for the heart or burn the stumps left behind when you sever a head."

"Thanks for the heads up. I'll send Pegasus to you, he'll get Meg out of there."

Nodding, they parted ways as Toshiro darted away to catch up to Sora and the others heading back to the Underworld, pulling out his phone as he did so.

"What are you doing?" Sora asked as they entered the courtyard.

"I know it looks like I had him caught, but he was out of his element." Toshiro replied, dialing a number. "In the Soul Society, we have a Limiter placed on us so we don't unintentionally harm living souls with our power. Hades has the same thing when he leaves the Underworld. Once we're in there, he'll be at his strongest, and he is a god, plus he's been away from the Soul Society for a while, there's no telling how much power he has."

He put the phone to his ear and waited for someone to pick up. He only had a few minutes.

"If I want to fight on par with him I need the Limiter removed." He said just before someone answered on the other end. "Kurotsuchi."

"_Oh, you._" A high-pitched voice growled. "_The Head captain said you might call, though I didn't expect you so soon._"

"If you know why I'm calling then get on with it, I only have a few minutes per call, the connection isn't good."

"_Watch your tone, boy, I could easily leave you helpless._" Kurotsuchi snapped and Toshiro grimaced; he didn't need this right now and they were entering the Underworld. "_Just a moment._"

He could hear rapid typing and then a short click.

"_There, the transfer is done. I don't want to have to keep doing this so I put it in a file form on your Soul Pager. Just press your squad number then pound and you can activate the Limiter Release._"

The line was beginning to cut out, and Kurotsuchi sounded ready to stream off insults, so Toshiro just hung up. They were heading towards the green door now; he'd release the Limiter once inside.

"Out of curiosity, Captain, how much does the Limiter restrict you?" Sora questioned as they each took a side of the door and started pulling it open.

"By eighty percent." Came the short reply and Sora's grip faltered as he gaped. That much?!

"That's a lot!" Donald exclaimed.

"It has to be." Toshiro ignored their amazement and stepped inside. "Humans hardly have any Spirit Energy in the World of the Living, so for a Captain such as myself to walk around with my power at its highest, I'd end up causing damage to their souls. We have limiters in order to prevent that, but sometimes we need it released. The Department of Research and Development creates a spatial freeze in the area around whoever is fighting so we don't harm the souls and can fight at full power."

"Wow, you guys think of everything." Sora scratched his head as he tried to take all this in, following the white haired Reaper through.

They spotted a familiar figure lying there on the ground and rushed over to him.

"Phil!" Sora called out. Awoken by the call, the goat-man shakily stood, holding his head as though he had a headache. "What happened?"

"I spotted this strange guy dressed all in black." Phil grumbled. "I chased after him, but then he turned on me. Next thing I knew I was seeing stars."

"Guy in black!?" Donald quacked.

"He's the one who stole the Olympus Stone." Sora said to Phil.

"Looks like he went the same direction we're headed." Toshiro noted. "More than likely it's Demyx."

"He's a bad apple alright." Phil nodded. "And all I wanted was to find a back-up hero. You know, in case Herc needs a break."

"Well why didn't you just ask?" Sora smirked, standing tall.

"Not the time, Sora, let's go." Toshiro pushed the boy forward into the caverns.

The ground was covered in a deep mist and the floor actually gave way to underneath that thick lining, which they found out after Toshiro nearly fell over, his quick reflexes allowing him to land on his feet with only some irritation. That irritation grew as Heartless barred their path, ghost-like Heartless that Toshiro almost found mocking, considering his job. These he took out easily, but it was obvious Sora and the others were suffering.

"Man, this Underworld curse is getting to me." Sora groaned, rolling back his shoulder.

"Gawrsh, we better get that Olympus Stone from Demyx and fast." Goofy frowned. The others nodded and they headed off again.

They travelled the route below while Toshiro leaped upwards to the sections above the mist to make sure nothing passed them without their knowledge or tried to sneak up on them from above. He could tell Demyx had the hood back on, as he couldn't pinpoint the man's Spirit Energy, though he knew they were closing in. The Soul Reaper paused on a platform that led into a large chamber, spotting the black cloaked man inside. Before the Nobody spotted him, Toshiro dialed in the limiter release command and prepared to use it if Demyx tried for a fight.

That done, he waited silently for Sora, motioning for them to remain silent as they came above the mist and pointing out the figure inside. They held their weapons at the ready, Donald even brandishing his with a huff, and together the trio ran inside. Toshiro face-palmed; that's not what he wanted them to do.

Too late now, Demyx was turned around and had spotted them. Hitsugaya remained in the shadows and simply watched, he'd scare the Nobody off if he went in, proven as Demyx removed the hood again and darted a look around. The white haired Captain masked his Spiritual Pressure.

"So, Roxas." Demyx seemed to think he was safe and relaxed a little, focusing on Sora. Toshiro tensed at the name used. What were they trying to pull?

"Excuse me?" Sora quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, didn't think that would work." Demyx scratched the back of his head. "Nothing happened earlier when Captain Hitsugaya had me tied up either."

"What are you talking about?" Sora was utterly confused now.

"Hold on." The Nobody reached into a pocket on his coat and pulled out a card to read. "'If the subject fails to respond, use aggression to liberate his true disposition'. Right," He put the card away, "man did they pick the wrong guy for this one."

"You're bizarre." Sora crossed his arms as Demyx reached into a different pocket.

The hand came out holding onto a small round stone with a mark imprinted on it. The trio gasped.

"So he was the thief!" Goofy exclaimed.

"A coward in combat but a master at deception." Toshiro's voice came behind them and they jumped, startled, Demyx even backing up a step. "Well, Myed, I see old habits die hard."

"Yeah…" Demyx laughed nervously. "But hey, had to earn a living somehow."

"Do you remember what I told you?" Toshiro lifted his head and leveled a glare at the blonde.

"Oh I do, but when the boss wants something done, well…" Demyx sighed. "I really don't want to fight you."

"Then don't, there are other paths to take."

The Nobody seemed to debate on that for a moment.

"Um…yeah, no can do. If I go back without a fight I get turned into a Dusk."

"Very well." Toshiro reached a hand up to his chest and Demyx's eyes widened at the familiar movement. "Sora, Donald, Goofy, go on ahead and find Megara. I have a subordinate to punish."

"Punish is a rather harsh way of putting it."

"Are you sure you can handle it?" Sora questioned.

"Myed, give them the stone. You don't need it."

"I haven't used my Soul Reaper powers in ages." Demyx frowned.

Teal eyes narrowed and Demyx gulped, tossing the stone to Sora. The brunette looked between the two, the glance at Toshiro amazed, before he and his companions raced past Demyx and through the door.

"Last I knew you, Myed, you were a Thirteenth Seat." Toshiro held his zanpaktou in front of him, hand still at his chest. "How much stronger have you gotten?"

"That depends…" Demyx summoned his weapon to him, a large blue sitar shaped similarly to the symbol on most of the Nobodies.

A fight of water and ice. A current Captain versus a former Thirteenth Seat turned Nobody.

"_Limiter Release!_" Toshiro shouted and the temperature dropped drastically.

Now at full power, Toshiro darted forward and started the fight.

* * *

**Okay, so maybe Shiro doesn't need the Limiter Release for Demyx, but he needs it for Hades, so he was just going ahead and releasing it just in case. Plus, he doesn't know how much Demyx has improved (I actually had a hard time fighting Demyx, I suck at time battles) so he's being cautious. The result of this battle is important though! You'll have to wait until I get back from school tomorrow T^T Enjoy!**


	41. Olympus Coliseum: Water Turns Light

Just before Toshiro could reach the blonde, he began to play a rapid song and multiple water clones rose up from the black rock.

"_River Medley._" Demyx said. "Gotta beat the clones I send out or you lose. A hundred clones in one minute."

"Fine." Toshiro held his zanpaktou forward. "Reign over the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru!"

The ice dragon curled around him, destroying half the clones in quick succession. Demyx frowned.

"Damn your ice dragon." He pouted, still playing.

"Damn your clones." Toshiro snapped back and used the chain-blade to snare another clone before using the frozen body to destroy several more.

Panicking a little now, Demyx had all the clones converge on the small figure. With a burst of Spiritual Pressure they all froze and broke. Next thing the Nobody knew, a long blade was being held against his throat. His hands froze and the music stopped.

"I win." Toshiro deadpanned. "Not very impressive."

"You made me give up my stone."

"As a former Soul Reaper you shouldn't need it."

"Fine…" Demyx carefully moved his hand over the sitar and its shape began to change. "Sing, Mizukayou."

Still holding Hyorinmaru to the man's throat, Toshiro watched the Nobody symbol shaped sitar change into a less bulky guitar of the same blue coloring with bladed edges that looked capable of extending into a scythe.

"Had to change her up for the boss so no one would know it was me." Demyx frowned. "Let me try again?"

"No." Toshiro tapped the blade to the man's legs before he could move and ice rapidly spread up from there to his torso and arms, also pinning him to the floor.

"Hey, not fair!"

"You should have used your zanpaktou from the beginning, your power as a Nobody is lacking. Plus, you're going up against a Captain with an ice-water type zanpaktou, my power outmatches yours and your water easily becomes my ice."

"Okay, I get it! I won't bother you guys again!"

"How do I know your boss won't force you to?" Toshiro quirked an eyebrow.

"Er…good point."

The white haired Captain sighed.

"Listen, Demyx. It's possible to return to the Soul Society. I'm sure we could find a way to return you to your Soul Reaper form as well if Kurotsuchi gets his hands on any Heartless or Nobodies."

"That crazy man aint touching me." The blonde scowled.

"I can understand that. Anyway, why don't you help us instead? Mind you I'll always be watching in case your cowardice puts you back on the enemy's side…"

"Now that's just plain rude." Demyx pouted. He silenced as Hyorinmaru approached his face.

"…don't lie, Demyx, you ally with whoever can protect you. You need to pick a side and stay on it. Do you want to go back to being a Soul Reaper? Or do you want to stay with the organization and possibly die for nothing? You know you're expendable to him."

"Yeah, yeah." The Nobody huffed. "Actually, going back to the Soul Society sounds really good right now." He turned a cyan gaze on the ice wielder. "I kind of lied about why I joined the Organization. The boss tricked me into it, saying he knew how to get me home. Next thing I know I'm just…well, this. Didn't know how to get out of it so I just followed along, stopped using my Soul Reaper powers and hid my zanpaktou away so he wouldn't try to steal it. He's been copying our powers."

"Interesting…"

"There's not really much I can say. I thought I was stuck like this so I didn't bother trying to get to know everyone."

"That's fine." Toshiro started to let the ice break. "You're a terrible liar, Myed. I knew you were hiding the reason for joining. I'm placing my trust in you, don't lose it."

"Promise, Captain." Demyx bowed deeply once he was able. "But for that same reason I probably can't play spy…"

"No need." Toshiro shook his head. "However, I'll need to do something about your habit of turning tail in a fight."

The Nobody laughed nervously.

"So, uh…after Sora?" He suggested.

"You first."

"Right, you're still watching me."

"Just in case."

"I don't blame ya."

With the Nobody heading forwards, the two of them headed towards the Keybearer and his animal friends.

"Why did you call for Roxas?" Toshiro asked as they stepped into the chamber, a shaft leading downwards with a beam of light to ensure a safe drop all the way down.

"The boss wants him back." Demyx replied. "Since he's Sora's Nobody he has the Keyblade, which he wants for Kingdom Hearts…something to do with killing the Heartless…not sure how those connect."

While the man scratched his head, Toshiro took in that information.

'_When Sora kills a Heartless with the Keyblade, the heart goes to Kingdom Hearts._' He mused. '_Which means if this boss of theirs wants those hearts for Kingdom Hearts…_'

'_**Every Heartless Sora slays only aids the organization in their goal.**_' Hyorinmaru finished with a growl. '_**It's a perfect scheme. He has to kill the Heartless to protect people, he has no choice.**_'

'_But when the Keyblade is using my power the hearts don't go to Kingdom Hearts. I'll need to have him use Frozen Heavens more often. The less he kills without it the better._'

'_**Try not to exhaust yourself though, Master.**_'

'_I have the Limiter Release now, it won't be a problem._'

He noticed Demyx peering down the shaft nervously, hesitating to step in.

"Get in or I'll push you." Toshiro snapped and the man pouted.

"Jeez, okay."

Black robe billowing behind him, he jumped in with Toshiro right behind him.

They came into a large area with white floors and tall walls that looked to be made of huge bones. Where Hades got those the two of them didn't want to know. They landed right behind Pete as the obese cat sent several Heartless to attack Sora and the others who stood protectively in front of Megara, bound by dark tendrils. Hearing the sound of feet thudding behind him, Pete turned around with several loud stomps and glared at them. Upon recognizing the white haired figure, he recoiled and backed away.

"The Soul Reaper!" He exclaimed. "And one of them Nobodies!"

"Yo." Demyx waved with a smirk. Toshiro just rolled his eyes and lifted his blade.

"Gah, I won't let any of you get away!" Pete brought forth several more Heartless of the more powerful type, several fiery ones with armored bellies that made Toshiro grimace. Of course the cat would pick fire.

"Demyx, if you run away from this fight I'll leave you frozen to the ground when I find you."

"Hey, no worries." The Nobody grinned, bringing his true zanpaktou forth and strumming it. "I can handle a couple Heartless no problem."

Nodding, Toshiro darted forward and kicked the obese cat roughly. The startled being went flying past Sora and the others, startling them and hitting a few bat-like Heartless on the way, before slamming into the wall.

"Oh, Captain!" Sora called out, waving to them. "And…Demyx?"

"I'll explain later." Toshiro said quickly. "Protect Megara, I'll handle Pete."

"Sir!"

By now the obese cat was back on his feet and glaring down at him.

"You're goin' to be a hard nut to crack." Pete grumbled. "But when I get your Heartless you'll make the perfect bodyguard!"

"Keep dreaming." Toshiro darted forward, sword aiming for the heart.

Once again, Pete proved he was quicker than his weight portrayed, managing to dodge the fatal strike and leave with a gash on the arm. But the boy wasn't about to let him get away, going right in for another strike. A shield went up around his target and blocked his blade, though the force still sent Pete rolling away a few feet in the sphere.

Now dizzy, Pete's shield fell and Toshiro took that advantage to trap him in ice, sword to his throat.

"What was the point of this cave?" He asked.

"Hehe, that little brat with the key fell for Lord Hades' trap." Pete smirked. "But I aint tellin' ya what it was."

"Fine by me, I'll figure it out." He let the ice spread higher and encase the cat, turning back to the fight. Demyx's water clones were holding back the Heartless as Sora undid Megara's binds with his Keyblade.

He was about to assist when he sensed a Heartless behind him and whipped around, blade blocking the claws of the ghost-like Heartless.

The ice Pete was encased in broke apart and a darkness covered Pete snickered, a victorious grin on his face. Toshiro wasn't sure how he'd escaped Hyorinmaru's ice, but now was not the time to worry about it. The only one here not capable of fighting was Megara and her presence only hindered them as they were forced to protect her. He had to get her out.

Plus, the cave was beginning to collapse.

Killing the Heartless quickly, Toshiro left Pete and headed over to the woman behind Donald and Goofy.

"Sorry about this." He told her before putting an arm around her waist and Flash Stepping back up out of the cave.

Setting her down, Toshiro turned to go back into the cave before spotting Hercules riding atop a white winged horse with a blue mane and tail. The Pegasus landed and the hero strode over quickly to Megara.

"Meg, are you alright?" Hercules asked.

"Fine, thanks to Sora and the others." She replied.

"We can handle things down here; get her out of the Underworld." Toshiro ordered, about to jump.

"Wait, I can't just let you all face this alone."

"Stop playing hero and get Megara out."

The Soul Reaper waited no longer and jumped down into the cave. He was less concerned with actually beating up Pete and more with getting everyone out before the walls came down around them.

The Heartless were still coming, Pete as ringleader. Demyx couldn't use River Medley again yet, something his zanpaktou had warned him about before. It was a time limit battle, but it also had to take time to recharge, and the more he used his powers between each time battle the longer it took. There was a flash of white and Toshiro brought their group number up to five. Surely the Ice Captain could scare Pete off and get rid of these Heartless.

At least Pete was smart enough to realize he was out numbered.

"Hmph, I'll deal with you nitwits later." He growled and fled.

Sora grinned and high-fived Demyx before the ground shook violently.

"Time to go." Toshiro said.

They didn't need to be told twice as they headed into the beam of light and out of the cave.

* * *

**So Demyx switches sides! Hehe, things are gonna get weird from here on. I think near the point of the thousand heartless war the story is going to change from the game, so I get to be creative! ^^ Enjoy!**


	42. Olympus Coliseum: Ice Captain-Ice Titan

The now group of five joined up with Hercules in the Underworld entrance outside of the caverns. All but Toshiro and Demyx were exhausted, though the latter was panting a little bit.

"Don't relax just yet." Toshiro warned as Sora flopped onto the ground.

The brunette glanced at him, confused, before a voice floated over to them and he snapped back to his feet.

"Well if it isn't everyone's favorite hero wash-out." Hades smirked as he stood a few feet away. "You really blew it this time."

"No one likes a sore loser, Hades." Sora snapped back.

"Can it, keyboy." The god growled.

"Then let me." Hercules took a step towards him. "No one likes a sore loser, Hades."

'_These guys are hopeless._' Toshiro inwardly sighed, keeping an eye on Demyx as the Nobody inched away from the fiery-headed figure.

"Yeah, yeah, Styx and stones." Hades simply shrugged it off this time. "You know, weren't you supposed to have another match right now? I think it was against the Ice Titan, sounds like things have gotten rather chilly up top."

With a puff of smoke and fire the god was gone.

"Kill one monster and he sends out another." Toshiro scowled. "We best head up."

Hercules was already on the move so they just followed behind.

"You've still got the Limiter off, right?" Demyx questioned as they ran.

"Yes, I haven't replaced it."

"Yeah, you might need it off."

"The Ice Titan is going to find someone stronger in that element than him today."

Stepping out of the dark Underworld they stepped into the courtyard of the Coliseum, finding it covered in ice and torn apart. Before them, Hercules fell to his knees, looking at the destruction in horror. It was supposed to be over with the Hydra, the people were supposed to be protected.

"Hades was right, I am just a washout." He hung his head.

"Well, you can be a little dense." Toshiro said as he walked by. "Sit this one out. I've been needing to let off a little steam anyway, Hades drives me nuts."

"You and me both." Sora nodded as he stepped up next to the Captain with his Keyblade at the ready. Donald and Goofy took a spot beside them while Megara and Phil both approached Hercules, glad he was safe, and took him out of range.

"Demyx!" Toshiro suddenly snapped, making Sora flinch a little. "I'm sure your zanpaktou would like to be put to good use again, get over here."

"Dammit…" The Water Nobody, who had been attempting to find a place to get away from the fight and wait until it was over, trudged back over and brought out his zanpaktou.

Finally they turned to the one causing this distraction, a giant being made purely of ice with crimson eyes that glared down at them. It stepped closer to them, ice spreading out from its thin legs into the ground. The others flinched a little but Toshiro moved closer, unaffected by the cold.

"Hey, uh, I'll freeze." Demyx pointed out. "When I became a Nobody my power kinda became…me. I can actually freeze. I almost did when you had me pinned earlier but you broke it away in time."

Toshiro sighed.

"Then I suggest you tread carefully, you're not leaving."

There was no more time for talking as the Ice Titan attempted to stomp on them. The others moved away while Toshiro Flash Stepped upward into the air, releasing Shikai as he went and creating a thick cloud cover and a sharp drop in temperature.

"I just told him that I can freeze." Demyx complained, shivering.

"Here." Donald cast a spell to keep him warm.

"Hey, thanks!"

"Now come on!"

"Alright, I got it." He brought up his zanpaktou. His River Medley attack wouldn't work in this situation, but he had other tricks up his sleeve.

A gash was created along the Ice Titan's shoulder as Toshiro cut through to behind him. The giant attempted to turn around and snag the small figure, feeling powered up in the cold weather, but the figure seemed to be even stronger, and much faster. Another gash shattered through the being's side and he gave an icy roar. Below, Goofy shot his shield into one of the legs, the spinning object digging in deep before the dog called it back.

"I got it!" Sora shouted, digging his Keyblade into the gash and charging up the fiery power before pulling upwards.

The titan roared and went on one knee. As he fell, Toshiro wrapped the chain-blade around his neck and pulled it tight. Unable to control his fall, the titan fell onto his back.

"Hey duck, help me out." Demyx called to Donald.

"It's Donald!" He quacked.

"Sorry. Anyway, little help?"

"With what?"

As the Nobody explained, Sora ran towards the head of the downed titan, charging up his own Fire spell. Toshiro held tight to the chain as the titan attempted to get back up, allowing Sora to cast his spell. Though the flames were still a little weak compared to Donald's, the damage it did to the being of ice was intense, beginning to melt off part of the head. It shot into a sitting position and the Ice Captain had to remove the chain-blade so he wouldn't be pulled along.

Goofy slammed into one of the legs with the full force of his shield to try and unbalance the beast again, but it simply snarled and reached a hand down to pick up the dog. Toshiro prevented that by cutting off the hand of ice and breaking away the severed appendage before it fell on Goofy.

"Thanks, Captain!" Goofy called up, moving out of range for now.

Toshiro nodded and turned to where Demyx was, noticing he hadn't taken part, while keeping an eye on the raging titan, furious with the loss of its hand.

"Hey Captain!" Demyx called out, Flash Stepping over to him; so he could still use that as a Nobody, interesting. "Check this out. _Call of the Sea!_"

With a quick melody, the ice left on the ground and around the broken arena melted to his song and rose up in a massive wave, converging on the giant of ice.

"Whoa…" Sora watched with his mouth slightly open as the water enveloped their opponent.

"It will freeze it." Toshiro warned the Nobody.

"That's where Donald comes in." Demyx smirked and Toshiro raised an eyebrow.

"Thunder!" Donald shouted.

The spell flew into the water where it was multiplied in the presence of Demyx's Spirit Energy. The water lit up with white sparks as the spell continually shocked the Ice Titan. When Demyx's song ran out the water fell to the ground, splashing at their feet and getting them a little wet, and the giant fell to his knees, stunned.

"Go on, while it's stunned!" Demyx nudged the Keybearer.

"Got it!"

Sora and Toshiro both raced forward and jumped, slashing across the titan's body with great force. They landed on either side, turning back. The titan did not move. Then, slowly, the cuts began to show until it finally fell apart. They had won.

"Nice going with the water, Demyx!" Sora shouted out to the figure as he ran back towards the group. Toshiro just joined them with Flash Step.

"Eh, easy." The Nobody grinned.

"If you can fight like that how come you run away?" Toshiro demanded.

"Well, it only worked with Donald's magic." Demyx laughed nervously. "If I'd been by myself I'd have been toast. It's only 'cause you all have really strong skills."

"You could easily drown someone in that attack."

"It's easy to blow away with the stronger people, and it doesn't usually last long enough."

Seeing as Demyx obviously couldn't see his own potential, Toshiro let it slide and instead looked towards where Hercules and the others awaited them, having come out of hiding with the defeat of the Titan.

"What's with the weather?" Phil grumbled as the clouds threatening snow vanished into the air, Hyorinmaru now sealed once more.

"An effect of my power." The Ice Captain replied. "Nothing damaging, I promise."

"Eh, can't be worse than what the monster already did."

"At least we stopped it from getting to the town." Sora grinned. "Though there probably won't be any games for a while."

"Maybe you should take that time to rest." Goofy added, saying this to Hercules.

The demi-god heaved a sigh.

"Don't worry." Megara assured with a smile. "I'll look after him. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Captain. I owe you big time."

"Hey it's no big deal." Sora waved her off. "Just let us know if Hades or the Heartless start acting up."

"If you noticed he still has scars from my attacks." Toshiro added. "He won't forget about me anytime soon."

The others snickered while Donald and Sora shared a glance; did the stoic Ice Captain just make a joke?

"Anyway, if they do, we'll take care of it." Sora continued.

"Yeah, that's what heroes are for." Donald nodded.

"When did you three make heroes?" Meg asked in amusement.

"They didn't." Hitsugaya smirked.

"Let's save that for another time. We've gotta hit the road." Sora laughed nervously. "Oh, right, almost forgot." He dug into his pockets. "The Olympus Stone."

"Which I'm very sorry about stealing." Demyx grinned nervously. "Won't happen again."

"So that was you!" Phil pointed an accusing finger at the blonde.

"I gave it back!"

"You knocked me out!"

"Sorry about that, too, but you were following me."

"Shut up." Toshiro snapped at them both and surprisingly they both obeyed.

Sora held the small stone out to Hercules. The demi-god rose shakily and reached a hand out for it, only for it to let off a glow that startled him into pulling his hand back. Smirking, Sora turned back to his companions, Goofy chuckling a bit. Toshiro had glanced at the object before the same way he had the sword in Land of Dragons, so they knew it was one of the items they needed.

Not feeling the pull this time, Toshiro stayed put as Sora unlocked the pathway to the next world.

"Hey Captain." Meg called out and Toshiro looked to the woman curiously. "Give this to Sora when you leave, I think he can use it."

She handed over a golden keychain shaped like the Olympus Stone with a thick silver chain. Another one for the Keyblade, he wondered what kind it would be. He held onto it and turned back to Sora.

Once the path was opened, Sora looked back at the others.

"Next time try to stay a little longer." Phil called up. "We've got some serious training to catch up on."

"I'll take care of that." Toshiro replied, beginning to walk away. "He and Demyx both need it."

"Oh boy…" Demyx frowned.

"So you're going with us?" Sora questioned the Nobody.

"Not sure that's a good idea." He scratched his head. "Perhaps I can still get away with being an Organization XIII member if I head out on my own. Actually, I think Axel's been going kind of rogue now, I'll just follow him."

"Axel?" Sora questioned, not having heard the name yet, though he felt it was familiar.

Demyx glanced at Toshiro, knowing the boy had met Axel and had been keeping an eye on Roxas. There was a subtle shake of the head that warned Demyx not to say anything. So he didn't want Sora to know about Roxas yet, interesting.

"Fellow member, we used to be buddies." Demyx shrugged. "Suddenly started staying away from everybody, we can't find him. Maybe I can do the same. I'll catch up with you guys later to see if you've gotten the Soul Society opened yet!"

"Okay, see ya!" Sora waved to him.

"Ah, before I go." Demyx dug into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. "I still have my Soul Pager. I know you're still watching me so check up on me with that."

"Very well." Toshiro took the offered item and pocketed it. "Time to go, Sora."

"Got it."

Demyx vanished into a dark portal as the four of them teleported back into the ship.

* * *

**So instead of the Hydra, since Shiro told Hercules how to properly kill it, they fight the Ice Titan! Demyx will be around, more so when the path to Soul Society opens ^^ He's going rogue. Enjoy!**


	43. Disney Castle: Protect the Queen

"So, what's next?" Sora questioned as he took wheel and started heading away from the world.

"Gawrsh, it's Disney Castle!" Goofy exclaimed as Donald pulled up a visual of a brightly colored castle. "We're heading home!"

"Sweet! I've always wondered what your world was like."

"Sora." Toshiro called out from the back. The Keybearer turned in time to catch the keychain Megara had handed the Soul Reaper. "Megara found it, I'm sure you could use that."

"Awesome, another keychain." Sora beamed. "I'll try this one out later."

The ride grew silent as they headed onward towards their new world. Hitsugaya wondered when he'd find another item that would allow him to further open the path to the Soul Society. He still worried about Demyx as well. As Myed he had always been sneaky, and he'd missed the Winter War, meaning a lot would be different for him. He still thought of Aizen as the gentle man he'd fooled everyone into thinking he was. Just the thought of what had happened made him scowl, fists clenched. The ship slowed a bit and Sora turned back to look at their undead companion.

"What's wrong?" The Keybearer questioned and Toshiro blinked in surprise.

"Nothing…" Teal eyes turned to look out the window at the blackness of space.

"Cheer up, we'll get you home soon."

"Part of me almost doesn't want to go home…"

"Eh?" Sora turned fully in his seat and looked over the chair. "Why not?"

Cursing himself for letting those words slip, Toshiro went silent. He'd said too much when shouting at Demyx, he was not about to elaborate on what he'd said.

"You've got family there, right? And friends? Why wouldn't you want to go back?" Sora frowned. This trip was going to take a while.

"Because I have plenty of enemies." Toshiro once more spoke without thinking and scowled. This conversation was about to get very dark if he didn't shut his mouth.

"Well everyone's got enemies." Sora shrugged. "The bad times are what make the good ones even better."

"I'm still waiting for any good times." Well, too late to stop now. "For some reason my life seems to be nothing but horrors."

"Nothing good at all?" Sora's expression was worried now.

"Not much… This isn't something I should be telling you, just drive."

"Hang on, why can't you tell me?" Sora actually got out of his seat, to the animals' surprise, and marched over to the Soul Reaper. "More top secret stuff?"

"If that's all it was I wouldn't have a problem considering everything I've already told you." Toshiro snapped. "Leave me alone, we're never going to get anywhere like this."

"Does it have something to do with this Aizen guy you mentioned?" Sora watched in surprise as Toshiro's whole body tensed up as though prepared to fight, teal eyes burning with fury at the mention of that name.

"It's none of your business!" The Soul Reaper growled and the ship became deathly cold, coming to a stop from the amount of negative energy. Donald and Goofy looked back at the two of them worriedly. "What happened with Aizen is none of your concern, he's been taken care of."

Somewhat terrified of the boy's change in attitude, Sora decided enough was enough and returned to his seat, looking a little spooked. He'd seen clearly the emotion suddenly displayed on the Soul Reaper's face, it had been pure rage. But he'd also seen the sadness there, the pain, and he'd noticed how Toshiro had put a hand on his side, though he didn't know why.

The ship moved slowly, the trio driving in a rather depressed state of mind and their passenger attempting to contain his riled up emotions. They passed by Beast's Castle and Hollow Bastion in complete silence before springing into action as the new path threw its Heartless at them. Toshiro said nothing the whole way. Sora and the others set aside the conversation and fought on until the path was clear and they rested before Disney Castle.

"Hey Toshiro." Sora turned back to the Soul Reaper. "Sorry about earlier."

"Don't apologize, it's not your fault." Came the icy reply. "You're only curious…it's just…" There was a heavy sigh. "That subject is sensitive to me, try not to bring it up again."

Sora frowned, brows knitted in worry, before turning away again. He could still remember what Toshiro had said to Demyx about Aizen. From what he'd heard, the man was evil beyond compare, worse than even Ansem. No person had the right to do what Aizen had done to Toshiro, to mock the death of a loved one while smiling. In fact, the Keybearer was surprised the Soul Reaper hadn't already fallen into darkness. He knew he would have had someone done that to Kairi or Riku.

He shook his head and teleported them down into the new world.

The four of them stood in a large space full of strange contraptions and machinery.

"So this is your castle." Sora gazed around the room.

"Must be nice to be home." Toshiro said, turning to see Donald and Goofy looking around worriedly. Was something up? He missed Sora's sad glance at his choice of words.

"Ya know, something just don't feel quite right." Goofy mused aloud.

"Yeah…" Donald agreed, fully alert.

Their nervousness spread and Toshiro reached a hand back to his sword, just in case.

The sound of scrabbling paws caught their attention and they turned in time to see two chipmunks appear up the stairs.

"You're back!" Chip shouted out, sliding down the railing with his brother close behind.

"Move it! Let's go!" Dale shouted, jumping up and down as the four of them approached the animals.

"Queen Minnie needs to see you!"

"The castle's in danger! Hurry! To the library!"

"Nothing ever seems to go our way." Toshiro sighed. "How do we get there?"

"Just follow us!" Donald replied instead, he and Goofy heading forwards out of the room. "This is the Gummi Hangar, we just have to go through the garden outside and past a hallway straight to the library."

"At least it's close." Sora shrugged as he and Toshiro followed the two animals outside while taking out the keychain and attaching it. The Keyblade became bulkier with Greek columns for the shaft and light colors; blue, yellow, cream. The teeth were sharp parts of a sun.

The doorway out of the Gummi Hangar was the doors of a miniature leafy castle that rested in the middle of the garden. They headed straight for a set of doors leading off to the side only to have Heartless bar their path.

"What?!" Donald exclaimed, bringing his staff to him. "They shouldn't be here! The Cornerstone of Light keeps them away!"

"Then we have a big problem." Toshiro replied, stepping past and cutting down several of the Heartless.

The amount in the garden was worrying enough, but as they stepped into the halls and up a flight of stairs they were flooded with Shadow after Shadow, the small black Heartless continuing to pour in, one appearing for every one killed. There seemed to be no end to them.

"Let's just focus on getting to the library, they're only going to keep coming." Toshiro ordered. The trio nodded and with Donald and Goofy leading they rushed past the Heartless, occasionally taking a few out to move ahead or avoid being hit, they headed towards the door at the end of the hall. Toshiro could sense a powerful light Spirit Energy inside.

"Inside, quick!" Donald shouted, pushing the door open.

They didn't need to be told twice as they headed inside. Toshiro was quick to place a barrier on the door before he turned to the other occupant of the rather small library. Small in his eyes, anyway. He'd seen the Great Archives, that library went on for miles.

The figure was another mouse, which considering the king made sense, wearing a silky red and pink dress and a small golden crown. She turned to them as they arrived.

Donald acted first, saluting her.

"Your Majesty Queen Minnie, we're back!" He reported.

She beamed at them happily.

"You're here!"

"Your Royal Highness, did ya happen to summon us?" Goofy questioned, also in a salute. Considering the mouse was royalty, Toshiro went ahead and bowed to her.

"Where's the King?" Sora asked his companions. Minnie glanced up at him, amused.

"Excuse him." Donald grinned nervously, pulling the Keybearer down by the ear. "This is our friend Sora."

"Oh, Sora!" Her eyes lit up. "The King told me all about you in his letters. He said you're a very brave young man."

"So," A little embarrassed by the flattery, Sora changed the subject, "do you know where he is?"

Minnie shook her head before turning to their fourth companion.

"This is Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya." Goofy introduced and the white haired child glanced at him, miffed with having someone else introduce him. "We've been trying to get him home."

"Another Soul Reaper lost in space." The queen sighed. "The King told me about the last one. I hope you can find out how to get home."

"I do as well." Toshiro nodded.

"Your Majesty, what are Heartless doing in your castle?" Donald asked with a tone of worry.

"Oh my, so those are the Heartless." She said sadly.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of 'em." Sora grinned, putting an arm around Goofy and Toshiro, the latter quickly pushing him back off with a scowl.

"I know I can count on you, Sora." Minnie smiled back. "But first there's something I'd like you all to see. Would you please escort me to the audience chamber?"

The trio stood at attention and saluted. Mildly curious about this form of showing respect, Toshiro tried it. It felt off. He decided he'd stick to bowing. His attention was grabbed as Minnie suddenly gasped, looking very concerned.

"Oh no, I forgot to warn everyone in the castle about the danger! We must make sure they're all somewhere safe!"

"Okay, we'll go tell them." Sora replied, determined. "I'll go tell everyone in the castle what's going on."

"No, Sora, you'll just get lost." Donald argued. "Goofy and I will split up."

"Then we'll stay with the queen." Toshiro said. "I'm fast, but I'll probably get lost as well."

"Okay." Goofy nodded. "See ya later!" He and Donald darted back out the door.

Toshiro removed the barrier before the two of them slammed into it and stood next to the door with his blade by his side, watching as the two of them darted through the crowd of Heartless and deeper into the castle.

"Audience chamber, right ma'am?" Sora questioned.

"Yes, Sora. Let's be on our way." The queen replied in her high voice.

The two joined the Soul Reaper standing vigil at the door. Now that they were ready, Toshiro pushed the door open and was the first out towards the Heartless to thin their numbers. Sora hung back to hit any Shadows that attempted to approach them in the floor. To make things quicker, Hitsugaya touched the tip of his blade to the ground and let the ice seep outward. The Heartless could not phase into the ground now with the magic ice blocking their way and they began to grow sluggish, allowing Toshiro to cut them down easily.

He removed the ice out of Minnie's path and waited for them to catch up. Once done the two boys switched, Sora moving ahead this time with his new Keyblade of brute strength while the Soul Reaper stood beside Minnie, keeping an eye out for Shadows.

They reached a large door protected by a light purple colored barrier, their symbol stamped in white at its center. Considering the protection they assumed this was the audience chamber.

"Just a moment." Minnie said to them and approached the door. "As soon as the trouble started I made sure to seal this room."

The tiny figure raised her hand up and the barrier glowed white before dispersing. The doors were enormous, seeming rather extravagant for such small subjects. How did one even open such thick doors? His answer came as a tiny door opened near the bottom, about the size of a normal door. Toshiro gaped a bit at that; these people were crazy.

'_**Well, at least it's not mouse sized.**_' Hyorinmaru chuckled.

'_Where have you been?_'

'_**Didn't have anything to say.**_'

'_You've been quiet since Demyx switched sides._'

'_**His zanpaktou was rather quiet, I was trying to see if anything was wrong. I didn't sense anything.**_'

'_He hasn't used her in a while, she's probably upset._'

'_**No, I mean I didn't sense ANYTHING.**_'

Toshiro frowned at that. What could the dragon mean? Was the zanpaktou spirit gone? That was impossible, it still responded to commands.

He decided to dwell on it later as his two companions stepped inside. The audience chamber went along well with the huge door, a spacious room of white with a long red carpet, the throne far back. It was obviously meant to hold a lot of people and like the ballroom in Beast's Castle was capable of withstanding his Shikai. Then again, the queen had a barrier up on the door, so hopefully there weren't Heartless here.

As if on cue, hundreds of tall cylindrical Heartless with small heads appeared in every available space.

"Not here too!" Minnie cried out.

Toshiro sighed. These Heartless existed just to irritate him, he could swear it.

* * *

**Gotta do homework, sorry. Enjoy!**


	44. Disney Castle: Witch's Wicked Words

The Heartless seemed uninterested in them, simply roaming the hall. The ones closest, however, were drawn to the power they sensed and started to converge on them.

"Things might get a little chilly in here." Toshiro said as he cut down one of the large Heartless and leaped into the air.

Sora caught on to what was happening just as Toshiro said the release phrase and backed up the queen as an ice dragon was cast downwards, smothering the creatures in ice before snapping apart and dissolving into blue spirit particles. The queen gasped in surprise at the powerful attack, eyes widening as the one who cast the dragon sent a large wave of ice across the room, destroying a great number of the dark beings. She knew Soul Reapers were indeed very powerful, but having never seen one in person she had nothing to compare to. Now she did.

"Follow me through, I'll keep them off." Toshiro ordered as he alighted on the floor before them.

"Sir!" Sora replied, Keyblade at the ready as he helped Minnie forward through a path forged in the ice by Toshiro, preventing the Heartless from reaching them for a distance. As they reached the end of the ice he'd created he sent out another ice dragon to clear the way, using a Kido spell on one that had narrowly escaped the icy fangs.

Since they weren't interested in destroying all the Heartless, they managed to make it through to the end quickly. Minnie approached the throne, searching for something hidden on it.

'_**Can you sense that?**_' Hyorinmaru rumbled.

'_Yes, the strong light._' Toshiro could feel the humming energy beneath him. '_It's another item needed to open a pathway, a strong one. I might be able to open the pathway to the Soul Society from here._'

'_**That path seems to come in small parts, but I think this item might be one of the key parts to unlocking it.**_'

The platform underneath shifted as Minnie found the switch she was looking for and began moving to the side. Toshiro looked to where it opened up and light shot out in a strong beam into the room. He and Sora both looked away from the blinding light, sensing the loss of darkness as the power killed off the Heartless. Whatever this item was, it was very strong, and the power seemed to be concentrated Spirit Energy, making him think of the Hogyoku. Could there perhaps be another one?

When the light faded they looked up again, the hall clear of any Heartless.

"Whoa…" Sora breathed, surprised.

"The room below is called 'The Hall of the Cornerstone'." Minnie said as she walked off the platform and to the revealed stairs leading downward. "Our world has always been safe from evil thanks to the Cornerstone of Light, which we keep down there."

"Cornerstone…of Light?" Sora tilted his head in question.

"Rumor has it the Cornerstone came from another world." Minnie said as she led the two boys downstairs.

'_Then…there might be a possibility of it being from our world._' Toshiro mused.

'_**This may just be our key home after all.**_' Hyorinmaru replied.

Not wanting to get his hopes up, Toshiro followed in silence into a dark room. Behind them, Donald and Goofy managed to catch up, panting heavily from their fast run. The room was covered in thick vines of black thorns, slowly creeping closer to a large sphere resting on a pedestal in the center. It let off an immense amount of Spirit Energy that seemed to react fondly to Toshiro's, cooling the room and letting off more of an icy-white glow than its former light green.

"Oh, it seems to like you." Minnie observed with interest. "This is the hall's cherished Cornerstone."

"You say it might have come from another world?" Toshiro questioned, stepping up next to Minnie, the queen now standing next to the large sphere. It had to be twice as big as he was.

"Yes, though the King isn't exactly sure where. But he believes it's from your world."

"That makes sense." Toshiro put his hand on the object. "It has an immense amount of Spirit Energy."

Suddenly he felt ten times better, any lost Spirit Energy immediately restored, Hyorinmaru giving a joyous roar at the sudden rush of power. He pulled his hand away; too much was dangerous.

"No wonder the Heartless don't come here." Toshiro observed. "This much Spirit Energy at its best would obliterate them, just like mine does when I attack a single one."

"But look…" Minnie motioned to the surrounding area. "The thorns. This has to be the work of someone very evil."

Toshiro moved away from the stone and reached back for the blade, wondering if he could destroy them. But then again, if he could, why had the Cornerstone not already done so?

The sound of a blazing fire caught his attention and he saw green erupt near the stone. He watched as a black cloaked figure with pale skin and black horns stood calmly nearby, see-through like a ghost.

"Maleficent!" Donald cried out and Toshiro quirked an eyebrow; hadn't they said she was destroyed?

"No way." Sora gaped.

The gray woman turned to them with a smile holding aloft a black staff with a spherical emerald at its top, glowing with dark energy. She was not truly there, so Toshiro did not ready his weapon, though the others did.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" She spoke in an almost mocking tone as she looked over them all, gaze settling on Sora. "If it isn't the wretched Keyblade holder and his pitiful lackeys."

"What!?" Donald quacked furiously. "Now you're gonna have to deal with me!"

Before he could run towards the ghostly figure, Hitsugaya snatched the back of his coat and pulled him back roughly, standing in front to prevent the duck from trying again.

"All in good time." Maleficent chuckled. "You will all be able to partake of my vengeance. Just be patient." She turned to Toshiro. "As for you, Soul Reaper, surely you'd rather be home than playing babysitter."

"Are you suggesting something?" Toshiro asked, one white brow rising.

"As I'm sure you've noticed this sphere holds a deep connection to your own world. I want this castle, Reaper, and if you help me get it you'll have your way home."

"Or I could remove your thorns, get rid of you and still have my way home. I prefer that idea."

The witch scowled.

"You won't get away with this, Maleficent." Minnie glared defiantly at the dark being.

"Ah, Queen Minnie. Radiant, as always." Maleficent bowed mockingly. "I suppose if the Soul Reaper doesn't have the sense to see the darkness in his heart I'll have to try other methods. This castle is a bit too 'bright' for what I have in mind."

"Don't have any sense?" Toshiro bristled. "I know there is darkness in me, there's not really much to do about that considering my job, I just choose not to follow such a despicable path. I may fight and kill, but I do it to protect."

"Oh yes, because you haven't attempted to murder someone before." Maleficent smirked as Toshiro became tense. "I can see it in your eyes, the darkness of one who has attempted to take a life out of rage. You have attempted murder before, boy, don't think that whatever else you do puts you above that."

"The man I wanted to murder was far more foul than even you, witch." The Soul Reaper spat. "He still lost, I'm still here, and I'm not a warrior of the dark."

"Well, he did leave his mark." The witch grinned wider, watching as the white haired child reached a hand up to his side where the scar left by Aizen showed upon his skin, hidden by his clothing. "Doesn't that make you angry?"

"You better stop now Maleficent if you know what's good for you." Minnie demanded. Sora held his Keyblade at the ready, feeling his own anger rise as Maleficent continued to mock his friend.

"Ooh, how frightening." The witch scoffed. "Very well, I'll stop…just as soon as this castle belongs to me!"

Green and black flames enveloped her ghostly form and she vanished from the world, leaving behind a piercing laugh of malice.

Letting his Keyblade disappear, Sora turned with a frown to his white haired friend.

"Hey Toshiro, you okay?" He asked, noticing how the Reaper was turned away from them, a hand over the scar they had no knowledge of. "Ya know, she was probably just trying to psych you out or something."

"No Sora, she was right." Toshiro replied in a dark tone, hiding his emotions. "I don't know how she knew, but she did. As a soul Reaper I fight to protect the balance of souls. But that doesn't mean I don't act on my own sometimes. There are people I hate, people I want to kill. There's no end to the dark things one does as a Soul Reaper. It's just part of what we are."

"And yet I can still sense a strong light within you." Minnie said to him, stepping in front of him. He looked down at her with a somewhat surprised expression. "I have a feeling you're very loyal to your friends, and you sacrifice much for their sake. You may have darkness, but as you've said, you've chosen not to use it." She reached up and put a gentle hand on his. "I'm sure when you find your way home, all your friends will be there to welcome you. Stay strong for them."

Not sure what else to do, Toshiro simply nodded.

"And you've got friends right here, too!" Sora added, putting an arm over the Captain's shoulders. "I know we don't know each other all that well, but if ya need anything we're right here."

Glancing in amusement at the goofy grin on Sora's face, Toshiro allowed a small smile to cross his face. The Keybearer definitely knew how to lighten the mood, though the mouse queen did help.

"Hey, you smiled!" Sora cheered in victory and Toshiro blinked in confusion. Behind Minnie, the mouse chuckling at the display, Donald and Goofy glanced at each other in amazement. "Finally, I got you to smile!"

"You're nuts." The Captain sighed.

"Aw, come on. Smiling is good for you." Sora poked fun at him.

"Stop it." Toshiro glared.

"Damn, I lost it." Now Sora frowned and the Reaper rolled his eyes.

"Don't we have thorns to get rid of?"

"Nothing like this has happened before." Minnie replied, glad to be back on topic, though she knew the boy needed the encouragement. "I've looked through all the records in the library, but I couldn't find a single clue."

They all thought for a moment.

"Oh!" goofy exclaimed, catching their attention. "We should go ask somebody who know lotsa stuff that aint in any book!"

"Merlin the Wizard!" Donald exclaimed, realizing quickly what the dog meant.

"Yes, that's perfect." Minnie nodded. "Merlin just might know something about this mess. Let's ask his advice."

"We saw him in Hollow Bastion, right?" Goofy questioned.

"Yeah." Sora nodded. "Let's go."

Safe in the light of the Cornerstone, Minnie watched the four of them teleport away to the Gummi Ship. She was a little worried for the Soul Reaper, about the sadness she'd seen in his eyes that he'd tried so hard to hide. Maleficent would surely keep trying to turn him, and that led her to worry. With such a strong Soul Reaper against them, Sora might not be able to make it out alive.

In the Gummi Ship, Donald discreetly handed Sora a handful of munny with a grumble. At first the Keybearer was confused, before remembering the bet he'd made with the duck back in Beast's Castle, smirking. It had been a small smile, but he'd done it. Now to work on making it happen more often. Their subject of the bet sat unawares behind them, looking out the window as they travelled to Hollow Bastion.

'_**Seems we'll have to wait until this problem is solved before we can figure out if this is the final key home.**_' Hyorinmaru stated.

'_Seems so…_'

Once there, they teleported down to Merlin's house and stepped inside, looking around for the blue wizard.

"Anybody home?" Sora called out.

"Merlin!" Donald quacked loudly.

"The castle's in danger." Goofy added.

Sighing, Toshiro ignored them and searched for the wizard's Spiritual Pressure. It was somewhere above them before it suddenly moved behind them, signaling he had teleported. A puff of smoke and there the old wizard was.

"What is all that racket?" He grumbled, pushing up his glasses. "Oh, it's you! It looks like you've learned a bit since the last time I saw you."

"Really?!" Sora beamed.

"Focus on the problem, please." Toshiro snapped and the Keybearer scratched his head nervously.

"Maleficent is back!" Donald exclaimed.

"Where?" Merlin donned a serious expression. "Inside the castle?"

Donald launched into an explanation as the wizard waved his wand in a subtle manner, the trio hardly noticing and only Toshiro's sharp eyes catching sight of it. The scenery around them shifted, making him a little dizzy, probably the magic, and they found themselves once more in the Hall of the Cornerstone.

'_Well…we weren't gone long._' Toshiro mused.

'_**In fact I think it's only been ten minutes since you left, the drive was quick.**_' Hyorinmaru chuckled.

"Perhaps I'd better see for myself." Merlin said to Donald, slightly apologetic. The duck huffed and crossed his wings.

The old wizard stepped on over to the Cornerstone and examined it closely, taking interest in the change of color it took within Toshiro's presence.

"Mhmm, interesting…" He mused.

"What's happening, Merlin?" Minnie questioned worriedly.

"This is not good." He grumbled. "In fact, I'm afraid, it's quite serious."

They got no elaboration as the wizard turned back to them, waving his hands in a way that made Toshiro think of an orchestra director. Something stirred in the air and he glanced around, wondering what it was.

A silver door appeared in a puff of smoke, light swirling around its frame and the fleur-de-lis carved above it.

"What's that?" Sora asked, entranced.

"My boy, that is a gateway to a special world." Merlin answered, following them over to stand in front of the door. "Someone in that world is responsible for what is happening in this castle, of that I am certain."

"Oh boy!" Donald grinned.

"We knew we could count on you Merlin." Goofy held his thumb up while Sora walked towards the door to open it. Toshiro wondered why the gateway to this world was so easily found when for others they had to run in circles looking for a special item.

"We should go in and get him." Sora said, meaning the person responsible for their predicament.

"Wait a moment." Merlin snapped, shooing Sora's hands away from the door. "While the perpetrator must be stopped, there is something we must do first." He walked back over to the stone. "In that world there should be a door identical to this one."

"You think the enemy is using it?" Toshiro cut in.

"I don't think, Mr. Reaper, I know." Merlin cleared his throat, miffed about the interruption. "If it isn't closed the castle will remain in grave danger. So, Sora, you must find this door and lock it with your Keyblade."

"Got it." Sora nodded.

"Now, one more thing." Merlin walked over to them. "You're heading into a VERY special world." They all looked to the door. "While you're there, the nature of that world may tempt you to do something dark. You must resist that temptation at all cost!"

"I'll keep an eye on them." Toshiro promised and Sora pouted at him.

"You must be careful, too, Soul Reaper." Merlin warned. "It'll affect you a little differently, what with you being a spirit and all."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see soon enough. I have faith in you my lads!"

Now that the wizard was finally done, Sora once more put his hands on the door and attempted to heave it open. It moved slowly, taking all of Sora's strength. To help things along, Toshiro grabbed one handle and pulled it open a little easier, though even he found it rather heavy. Now that they had it open, the four of them cautiously stepped inside.

* * *

**Man i'm tired...ignore me, just read ^^ Enjoy!**


	45. Timeless River: Turning Back Time

The door shot open and four figures were thrown out of it.

"A little warning would have been nice." Toshiro growled, getting to his feet.

He was quick to notice something was off and looked down at himself. His Captain's robe was gone, leaving him in the simple Soul Reaper uniform, and he could swear he felt a little…smaller. Not by much. In fact, he felt like he was back to the age he'd been when first entering the Soul Reaper Academy. He was missing Hyorinmaru as well, which made him panic slightly, before he heard the dragon rumble soothingly to calm him down.

"Hey look, the Cornerstone of Light." Goofy called out and he looked up, spotting the large sphere resting on four stones atop a hill.

The world around him was black and white, making him a little nervous. Had the doorway affected his sight as well as his age?

'_**You're only affected physically.**_' Hyorinmaru pointed out. '_**Your power is still the same.**_'

'_Except I'm missing your blade._' Toshiro growled.

'_**You could hear my voice before you earned the sword, so I'm still here, you just have no way of using me.**_'

'_This is going to complicate things._'

Toshiro turned to Sora, realizing he looked the same age but was all black and white and…cartoony, his special clothing gone and replaced with his old outfit. Donald and Goofy also looked cartoony and old fashioned. They'd all been turned into cartoons! No wonder he felt strange.

"Hey Captain, did you shrink?" Sora smirked.

"Say that again and you get stuck here in ice." Toshiro growled.

"Gawrsh, that must be what Merlin meant." Goofy looked the Captain up and down. "In this world you got turned into a little kid again."

"I'm not little!"

"Well, you _were_ little, then, since you seem to have been put back at a younger age." Sora remedied.

Unable to argue with that, Toshiro just scowled, but they found that with his messy white hair shortened and dangling over his face and child-like appearance, the scowl was…cute.

"What's going on, anyway?" Toshiro quickly changed the subject. "Everything's black and white."

"Yeah, it's weird." Sora looked himself over.

"Hey, this is kinda like…um…uh." Donald fumbled for a word as he examined his cartoon form.

"Déjà vu?" Goofy offered.

"Yeah!"

"Really?" Sora tilted his head. "Have you been here before?"

Toshiro, senses still as strong as ever, spotted a rather familiar figure running past, a large black cat, though Pete was now only in a pair of overalls instead of his armor.

"Guys." He called out and they followed his gaze.

Pete stopped before them, looking as though he'd never seen them before, which Toshiro caught onto, and caught his breath.

"Hey you!" He called out. "Seen any bad guys around here?"

Sora and the animals pointed at him and he reeled back. Something clicked for Toshiro and he pulled down Sora's arm quickly as the cat fumed.

"Why I oughta." Pete growled and Toshiro stepped forward, confusing the others.

"Sorry for that, we haven't seen anybody." He said calmly, trying to do as he had for Roxas and play the part of an innocent child, albeit a cold one.

"Hmph, alright then. Let me know if you see 'em." Pete calmed and stomped away quickly.

"Captain, what are you doing?" Sora frowned.

"Haven't figured it out yet?" Toshiro donned his normal icy façade. The trio shook their heads. "We've gone back in time. That's why I look like I did decades ago when I first entered the Soul Reaper Academy." He turned to Donald and Goofy. "That's why you two think you know this place. This is Disney Castle before it became Disney Castle."

Their faces lit up as they realized he was right.

"So then…that Pete was…" Sora pointed to where Pete had run off.

"Pete from the past, he's not who we're looking for." Toshiro confirmed. "But I think the guy he's looking for is the one we want."

"Alright, so we follow this Pete and see if we find our bad guy."

"Exactly. Let's go."

"Sir!" Sora spotted something interesting. "Hey…where's Hyorinmaru?"

"I didn't have him when I entered the academy, I'm restricted to Kido." The Reaper replied as he led them to the path Pete had gone. "Though it's probably a good thing, considering the destructiveness of my zanpaktou. We don't know what kind of effects it could have on the future."

"True, but I bet it feels weird without it."

"It most definitely does, but I can still hear him."

"Huh?"

Toshiro paused. Had he neglected to tell Sora that the zanpaktou spirits could talk?

"The zanpaktou spirits are sentient." He said to the Keybearer. "Normally we just talk to them while meditating with the blade in our lap as you've seen me do. But sometimes they'll talk to us while we fight or if we need advice. I can still hear him, so I'm not that worried."

"Oh, I thought you could only talk to them while you meditated."

Shaking his head, Hitsugaya started moving off again.

They found Pete at the pier, looking out upon the river for who knows what. Now that they knew this Pete wasn't evil, the trio approached with a friendlier air.

"Hey!" Sora called out.

Startled, the past Pete turned around in a huff.

"Sorry about earlier, is there anything we can do to help?"

"You wanna help, eh?" Pete crossed his arms. "Say, you pipsqueaks look new around here."

Toshiro scowled fiercely. So he was a LITTLE smaller than before, but he wasn't a pipsqueak. Seeing this, Sora was quick to cut in.

"Ah, well, yeah, we're new here. Nice to meet ya!"

"Are you really Pete?" Donald let out without thought, making Toshiro want to hit him. He didn't, knowing that would look suspicious.

"'Course I am, I'm the captain of the steamboat!" The cat growled. "But some runt decided to steal it! Since you all's wanting to help, you can help me find it!"

"We'll keep a look out." Toshiro said, making sure not to promise anything. It was obvious he didn't know who the thief was so they would just have to keep searching. "Come on, let's go."

The trio followed him back to the hill with the Cornerstone of Light on it.

"So this Pete can't tell us anything." Toshiro sighed. "We best start looking for the door."

"Yeah, but we can't find the door if we don't know who's using it." Sora countered. "They'd be the only one who knew where it was."

"What if we split up?" Goofy offered.

"Hey, what's that?" Sora pointed to something off to the side and they all turned.

It was a floating screen of sorts with a curtain at the front. They stood in front of it, staring at it curiously, before Donald waddled forward and pulled on the rope at its side and rushing back to stand next to them. The curtains lifted and they watched a scene play out before them, no one else seeming to notice it.

It showed different Heartless in pairs in the same field they were at now, waiting in front of four different windows to what they assumed were different parts of the world, a symbol above each of them. The windows slammed open and the pairs moved inside. Just as the doors they had arrived in began to shake, the four windows vanished and then the four of them were thrown out from the portal. A familiar scene played as they looked at their surroundings and then themselves, Toshiro scowling as he heard Sora make fun of his size again.

"Sorry." Sora laughed nervously once he saw the scowl.

"I suppose those four window portals have something to do with finding our door." Toshiro ignored him. "Let's find them."

"Even if they didn't, we've gotta get rid of those Heartless." Sora agreed.

They turned, only to find the four windows had reappeared before them in the same places in which they had vanished in the scene.

"Well that was easy." Donald tapped his foot, arms crossed.

"I'm not complaining." Toshiro walked over to one of them. "Four windows and four of us. This will go faster if we split up."

"Gawrsh, I dunno." Goofy said worriedly. "Maybe we should do at least teams of two, in case somebody gets hurt."

The Ice Captain considered that.

"Very well, you'll be with me. I can only use Kido at the moment anyway; it's a good idea to balance it out with your defense."

"Alright Donald, you're with me." Sora grinned and together he and the duck leaped into one of the windows.

"After you, Captain." Goofy saluted.

They entered the portal. After a brief flash of light and a strange feeling that made him a little dizzy, the white haired Captain found himself in front of a tall building with multiple fires, Heartless roaming around. He reached back for his blade only to remember he didn't have it.

"Look!" Goofy pointed out.

Following the point, Toshiro spotted none other than Mickey, though by the looks of it this one was from the past as well. This Mickey was panicking, attempting to escape the Heartless.

"I can put out the fires but you'll need to get him out of here." Toshiro ordered.

"What about the Heartless?"

"Those won't last long either."

He darted forward, sensing the dog run towards Mickey and start pulling him away.

'_**Attempt to manifest me.**_' Hyorinmaru rumbled.

'_I don't have your blade form, will that work?_'

'_**Attempt it and see. You might be able to get it this way, just like you did in the academy. You may have gone back in time but things work the same way.**_'

Trusting his zanpaktou, Toshiro held his hand out before him as though he was holding his sword and forcing out the spirit within. The air dropped in temperature and the fires wavered, the Heartless turning to him with interest. Several Heartless that looked like cartoon cars with some rather nasty teeth revved up their engines to hit him. He needed to work fast.

The air was below freezing now, harsh wind stirring up. It only made the blaze higher, but that was remedied by ice climbing up the walls and over the fire, melting in the flames only to put out what had melted it and refreezing.

A car charged him.

'_Dammit._' Toshiro broke his concentration to dodge.

Goofy came back and stopped the vehicle with his shield.

"Don't worry Captain, I've got your back!" He called.

Nodding his thanks, Hitsugaya returned his focus on manifesting his zanpaktou. Heartless were smothered by the force of his Spiritual Pressure as they approached him, Goofy moving away a little each time to avoid joining them.

Eventually it got too intense and Toshiro stopped, instead focusing his raised Spiritual Pressure on the Heartless and freezing them solid, which broke easily as Goofy's shield barreled into them. He had not been able to manifest his sword, but at least the Heartless were gone.

'_**This indeed won't work without a zanpaktou blade.**_' Hyorinmaru sighed.

'_It was worth a shot, and it made this much easier._' Toshiro assured the dragon.

He paused as Mickey ran over and grabbed his hand, shaking it vigorously before running off with a wave. Toshiro stood there for a moment, dumbfounded, hand still held out.

"Hey Captain, look." Goofy waved the small Reaper over to another floating screen.

The dog pulled the rope and moved quickly to stand next to him as the new scene played out before them.

It was Maleficent, the scene still black and white though they were obviously not in the same world, and she was looking into a door just like the one they had come through.

"Fascinating…" Maleficent mused. "This appears to be a portal to the past!"

They were apparently watching from someone's point of view as the vision before them shifted up and down, like someone nodding.

"Yeah!" Came Pete's voice. "It was the strangest thing."

"Stop gawking." Maleficent snapped. "And start thinking of a way we can use this to our advantage."

"Okay." Pete nodded.

"Now, perhaps I could give you one more chance to redeem yourself."

Hands went in front of their vision, Pete's hands, as he put them together.

"Thank you! You can count on me! So, what do I do?"

"Patience, my dear…" She turned back to look into the portal. "Well, what have we here? If it isn't the Cornerstone of Light! Now we can take the castle from those fools – but we'll have to proceed with the utmost of care…"

Pete turned to look at the door and the vision faded out.

"Maleficent knew the whole time." Toshiro growled as the screen vanished. They left the area through the portal and back to the Cornerstone hill with Goofy behind him. "I'm not sure how Pete managed to find that door, but we need to find the end that leads here."

"Right." Goofy nodded. "At least we're on the right track. Maybe Sora and Donald found something."

Toshiro turned to the portal the two mentioned had jumped through. He wasn't sure if they were still in there or not.

"Let's clear the Heartless out of the next one and we'll meet back up with them." Toshiro said to the dog and moved on to another of the four windows. Goofy obediently followed.

* * *

**Timeless River! And Shiro's tiny again! If he was willing to do a pouting face while he was young like this he'd get anything, I swear. Well, he'd get anything from me, I would NOT be able to resist that face XD Anyway, there's also the issue of not having his zanpaktou, cuz he didn't have it when he first went into the Academy. As to why he's not wearing the school uniform...uh...meh, guess I got lazy. So! Off to find the future Pete in the past and defeat Heartless to save future Disney Castle while not doing anything to past Disney Castle that could change future Disney Castle...m head hurts. Enjoy!**


	46. Timeless River: Get Pete!

After battling the Heartless out of a construction site and away from a miniature town, Sora and Donald exited their second window portal to see Toshiro and Goofy waiting for them, the former looking a little miffed about something.

"Hey, did you guys find anything?" Sora questioned.

"Sure did!" Goofy replied. "Maleficent told Pete to destroy the Cornerstone of Light."

"So Pete IS the bad guy!" Donald quacked angrily.

"Not the Pete we met." Toshiro reminded. "The steamboat Captain Pete is the Pete from here, he's not Maleficent's lackey just yet. However, the Pete we do know is evil is here somewhere, and I think he's our boat thief as well."

"Pete stole his own boat?" Sora tilted his head, confused.

"Don't ask me, the logic in these worlds is completely different from what I know." Toshiro shrugged. "Anyway, I think we'll find Pete when we find the steamboat."

The Captain froze before whipping around in time to spot several Heartless attempting to spirit away the Cornerstone.

"_Way of Destruction Number Thirty-One, Red Fire Cannon!_"

Luckily his Kido was still as good as always and the Heartless disintegrated in its blast. Sora took the initiative to kill the rest off with his Keyblade.

"Hehe, the midget Captain is even smaller now." Pete, the one they knew as the real bad guy, snickered at the small form of the white haired Captain. "AND defenseless."

"If you think I'm defenseless, think again." Toshiro snarled back, raising a hand to cast Kido. He'd even use hand-to-hand if he had to, anything to shut the obese cat up.

"And he's got us!" Sora added, Keyblade at the ready and Donald and Goofy not far behind.

"Oi, this baddie's mine!" The past Pete shouted, running up to join them. "This punk stole my steamboat!"

"Ha! A whole troupe of cute kids and an old geezer." Bad Pete laughed.

"Ya know you just insulted yourself." Sora pointed out.

Bad Pete spluttered a bit as he realized that was true. Then, he saw white before something kicked him VERY hard in the gut and sent him flying into a tree. The white had been the hair atop the Soul Reaper he'd just called a 'cute kid', looking ready to beat him senseless right there.

Though the cold teal had been replaced with the same cartoony black as everyone else in the world, Pete still shivered under his glare and bolted.

"He'll lead us to the door, come on!" The Reaper shouted back at his companions.

He was gone in a flash of black, forcing them all to follow at a quick pace, the past Pete lagging behind as his bad back hindered him. They passed through the waterway and to the wharf, where Toshiro had him cornered, stance tight with his hands up to fight hand-to hand. From how far he'd managed to kick the large animal before it was quite clear to Pete he could cause some serious damage even without his blade.

"Tch, you nitwits just don't give up!" Bad Pete growled, readying for a fight. He had nowhere to run to.

"Neither do you!" Sora snapped back, taking stance next to the Soul Reaper.

They charged him, Donald casting a spell. Pete brought up his shield to block it before taking a swing at Toshiro as the small Reaper's speed brought him closest, but he was too fast, dodging the fist and instead jumping onto his arm.

"Hey!" Pete growled.

Not replying, Toshiro landed a return punch right in the cat's jaw, jumping off as he fell backwards from the force. Quick to recover, Pete growled and charged head on at Toshiro. Sora cut in first however and struck a blow. Pete held his arms up, managing to block the worst of the blows before a Blizzard spell hitting his side knocked him over. He got back up only for Goofy's shield to hit him roughly on the head.

Growling, Pete darted away, his opponents following him.

They passed through a window portal into the area with the burning building, several Heartless joining the fray with Pete looking smug, hoping to have them outnumbered. Donald and Goofy turned to attack the Heartless while the boys went for the ringleader. Toshiro attempted to bind the animal with Kido but the Heartless simply broke it off for him, to his annoyance. The air grew colder in order to slow the movement of the Heartless and strengthen Toshiro's blows. This showed as he landed a hit to Pete's side, a little ice even spreading though not as much as when he used his blade.

Sora struck Pete across the chest and he slammed into the building. Once more the cat darted off into another portal, leading them into a room with a black hole at its center, one Toshiro remembered being in with Goofy, having to stop the black hole from sucking in everything while killing Heartless. Now there was no furniture, just more Heartless and Pete.

Starting to get tired of his running, Toshiro used Flash Step to get behind Pete and landed a harsh hit to the neck that was meant to knock him out. Unfortunately, Pete's thick skin prevented him from passing out, though it did stun him enough that the small Soul Reaper could kick him in the back and send him reeling into the black hole. It swallowed him up before spitting him back out to slam into the wall. Once again, Pete jumped through a window portal. Starting to see a pattern, Toshiro followed through, not waiting for the others, and tackled the cat.

"How can you be so fast!?" Pete complained, swinging up and managing to actually hit the white haired Captain, knocking him off. Toshiro realized he was in a field with several towers of tiny cannons. One of them took a shot and he ducked down, narrowly avoiding the tiny cannonballs.

He checked the side Pete had managed to hit, feeling the starting of a bruise. No broken bones. Good, he could still fight. Sora and the others joined them and the fight began again. Pete created a thicker shield this time and stood haughtily within it, summoning several Heartless to fight for him.

Toshiro looked at the cannon towers, then back at the Heartless. His eyes lit up with an idea and he rushed forward, striking at a Heartless. Being a spirit he could hit the Heartless without need of a weapon as others did, though not very effectively. He didn't mind though, luring the enraged Heartless into the line of fire. He heard a click and ducked. The cannonballs peppered the dark creature and destroyed it.

He did that several more times before noticing Pete was finally out of his shield and exchanging blows with Sora. This time he did not attack, just waited.

As Pete made a beeline for the next portal, Toshiro cast a bind out and managed to snare him before blocking the path to the portal as a Heartless came to free him.

"This is the end." Toshiro growled, tiring from the fight. His younger form didn't seem to have as much stamina. By the malicious smirk that adorned Pete's face, his exhaustion was beginning to show.

"Outta my way!" Pete snarled and charged him.

Narrowly dodging the punch, Toshiro retaliated with a kick to the gut, knocking the cat back. But it was clear to see he wasn't hitting as hard as he had at the beginning. Well, his hand-to-hand wasn't as good as his swordplay. Otherwise he would have been in the Stealth Squad.

"Heh, not so tough now." Pete grinned, taking note of how Toshiro was panting a bit.

Defiant, Toshiro held his hands up, still prepared to fight.

"Hey Pete!" Sora called, jumping up behind the cat.

Startled, Pete turned only for the Keyblade to knock him backwards. Toshiro rolled out of the way as he went flying through the portal.

"You okay?" Goofy asked, him and Donald approaching him while Sora jumped through the portal to prevent Pete's escape.

"I'm fine; hand-to-hand is not my strong suit." Toshiro headed to the portal. "And using so much Kido is wearing down my Spirit Energy."

"I'll cure you." Donald cast the spell, but while the bruises vanished, his fatigue did not. "Huh?"

"Spirit Energy can't be restored like that." Toshiro said. "Let's just go, Pete's wearing down faster than we are."

The three of them darted in to back up Sora, now standing on a large scaffold amid a construction site. Though tired, Pete smirked and jumped up, landing heavily on the platform. It shook beneath them, putting them off balance. Toshiro jumped up and stood upon a platform of Spirit Energy, shocking Pete, before casting a Kido spell. It hit the tired Pete square in the chest.

Latching onto the stunned cat, Toshiro all but threw him through the next portal and back onto the wharf where Past Pete jumped in surprise, having wondered where they'd gone. The four of them stood together, panting from the long fight but still managing to glare at Bad Pete.

Growling, Pete gave up and summoned a very familiar door. This time they did not follow as he retreated through it.

"And stay out!" Past Pete snapped at him.

"Sora!" Donald called out.

Nodding, the Keybearer rushed forward to stand in front of the door and held his Keyblade forward. A Keyhole appeared where there wasn't one before, awaiting the light of the Keyblade. It shot forth in a beam and into the darkness where they heard a click as it was locked magically. Once locked, it vanished in a flash of light.

Heaving a sigh, Toshiro sat down, glad it was over and wanting something to eat.

* * *

**This battle was really annoying with Pete running through to the different areas But it was also one of his easier fights, for me at least. Anyway, story. With Shiro being his younger self he's gonna have a few physical impediments like less stamina, though since he's a Soul Reaper he still has more than anyone else, and even when he was first in the academy he had a lot of Spirit Energy, so he can handle using lots of Kido. ^^ Enjoy!**


	47. Disney Castle: Path to the Dead

"Would somebody tell me what's goin' on?" Past Pete grumbled, watching as Sora took a seat beside Toshiro before falling onto his back, exhausted. The animals were quick to follow suit. "Who was that creep anyway?"

"You'll see." Toshiro replied, the others too tired to answer.

"Eh?" Pete tilted his head curiously. "Anyway, sorry I put you guys through all that trouble."

"Just don't make a habit of it." Donald grumbled.

Too worn out to keep his emotions straight, Toshiro let out a short laugh. Sora's head snapped up in wonder.

"And just to show ya my appreciation," Pete ignored them, "I'll let you pilot my steamboat. Best little craft on the river! My deck hand Mickey is late anyway."

Seemingly the only one with enough energy to even sit up, Toshiro looked at the other three before sighing.

"We'll have to pass." He said.

"Oh, well, alright." Pete stroked his chin. "Have this, then. I think that creep dropped it."

He handed over a keychain with a boat's wheel as its symbol.

"Thank you." Toshiro said, dropping it on Sora. The boy frowned at him before grabbing the item and pocketing it.

They waited until Pete walked away before speaking again.

"I betcha the castle's safe now." Goofy said, managing to sit up. "Since we stopped him from taking the Cornerstone."

"Then we best head back." Toshiro stood. "I'd like to have my sword back."

"You just don't want to be tiny." Sora snickered.

Sighing, the Reaper knelt down again and put a hand on Sora's chest.

"I told you what would happen if you called me that again." He said in a deceptively calm voice.

Ice spread from his hand and trapped the Keybearer to the ground.

"Hey!" Sora shouted, attempting to squirm out of the freezing bindings. "That's so not fair!"

"I warned you." Toshiro replied, walking away. Donald and Goofy looked for a way to remove the ice. "That makes it fair."

"Does not!"

Toshiro sent a wave back and kept on walking.

Eventually Donald managed to melt the ice and they met back up with the Reaper at the door. Unlike a few minutes ago, he seemed much livelier than before, all his energy returned. When they asked, he just motioned with his head to the Cornerstone, telling them it acted like a sort of energy renewal item, replacing lost Spirit Energy.

"Hey, maybe it'll work for us." Sora approached the sphere and put his hand on it.

"It only restores what you lost." Toshiro reminded. "If you don't' have much to begin with it won't be that big a help."

"Darn." Sora slumped. Though he felt a little better there was still fatigue.

"As a spirit I have a lot more to begin with, plus I live on it." Toshiro opened the doors. "Hopefully Queen Minnie will allow us some rest. I don't fancy sleeping on the ship again."

"Wait!" Donald called out. "While we're here…"

"Donald!" Goofy and Sora shouted, knowing immediately what he was attempting to do.

The duck attempted to shrug it off, acting like he wasn't trying to change history, but the two were not fooled. Gladly holding the door open, Toshiro watched as Donald was cast through the time portal by his companions with slight amusement. Once he was through, they followed through at a leisurely pace, not really in any hurry.

On the other side, Toshiro mentally rejoiced at having Hyorinmaru at his back once more and the haori back over his shoulders, as well as being taller, albeit by a few inches at best. At least he wasn't tiny. The thorns were gone as well, the room bright once more.

"Welcome back." Minnie greeted them. "Because of your bravery, the castle is safe and protected again. Thank you so much for all you've done."

"Great job, you guys!" Chip and Dale shouted in unison.

"Now boys, I hope you didn't do anything reckless while you were there." Merlin looked at them all skeptically.

"Of course not!" Donald replied, puffing his chest out.

Sora and Goofy chuckled at that and Donald gave them a glare to shut up.

"A little warning about the age change would have been nice." Toshiro said to the wizard. "I was without my zanpaktou that whole time."

"Oh, but I did warn you."

Grumbling, the Reaper went quiet. Next to him, Donald spotted a small figure near the exit to the hall, another duck, this one a girl in a purple dress similar to Minnie's. With grace she walked over to them.

"Daisy!" Donald called out happily, waddling over to meet her halfway. "Daisy, I'm back!"

"Who?" Sora asked.

"Daisy is Donald's very special sweetheart." Goofy beamed.

Curious, the three of them watched as Donald reached the lovely duck, reaching out for her hand. Her face changed to one of frustration as she snapped at him.

"Donald! You forgot about our date again! You better have a good excuse this time!"

"But Daisy…I…" Donald fumbled for an answer, backing away slowly.

"I know it's an important mission but you could at least visit every once in a while."

Donald turned back to the other three. Sora put his hands behind his head and looked away while Toshiro just shrugged.

"Sora!" Donald whined, looking a little hurt that the boy didn't back him up.

He turned and spotted the door to the past. The minute that mischievous grin came on the duck's face, Toshiro Flash Stepped in front of the door and leaned on it, preventing entry.

"Captain!"

At a loss, the duck surrendered and took Daisy's punishment; a stern talking to.

"Oh, look!" Minnie pointed as the Keyblade appeared in Sora's hands and began to glow.

As quick as he could, Toshiro pulled out the Soul Pager and pressed the code for the release.

"_Limiter Release._"

The others flinched a little at the sudden increase of power but the Soul Reaper set it aside and joined Sora's side, grabbing onto the Keyblade.

"If this one isn't it at the very least it'll open the path up the most." Toshiro said to the Keybearer as he poured in his power.

"Got it." Sora nodded, wincing a bit as the Keyblade started to feel deathly cold in his grasp.

The Cornerstone lit up and the field of ice surrounded them once more. It seemed icier than ever and they guessed it was due to the sudden increase in power Toshiro was feeding it. The power just kept coming and Sora vaguely wondered if it would run out like it had last time or if the removal of the Limiter really gave him that big of an increase. He had been told it limited one's Spiritual Pressure by eighty percent, so this was Toshiro at full power, recharged by the Cornerstone. On that note, maybe the Cornerstone was continually recharging him.

They lifted the blade together to the Keyhole, a thick beam of icy blue light shooting forth to unlock it. The icy landscape glowed with light before vanishing, bringing them back to the Hall of the Cornerstone. Now Sora was the one feeling tired while the Captain simply panted a bit, quickly putting the Limiter back on so as not to pressure those inside who weren't used to it.

"Whoa, I need a break." Sora groaned, sitting on the floor.

"You're welcome to stay here for the night to recover your strength." Minnie offered kindly. "It's the least I can do after you saved the castle."

"Really?" Sora asked and the mouse nodded. "Thanks Your Majesty."

"Well, I best be off." Merlin gave them all a smile.

"Wait." Toshiro said quickly, approaching him. "I have a few questions for you."

"Fire away, dear boy."

"What all do you know about the Cornerstone of Light?"

"Ah, I thought you might ask that." The wizard nodded sagely. "Yes, it is an artifact from your world. It was gifted to this world many centuries ago by a figure claiming to be from Squad Zero. Is there such a squad?"

Upon seeing Toshiro's widened eyes and utterly shocked expression, he assumed there was.

"The squad serves directly under the Soul King." Toshiro said, a slightly awed tone to his voice. "They were all Captains once before being promoted for doing something of great contribution to the Soul Society. There are only five of them, but they are each as strong as several Captains combined…you're saying they brought this here?"

"Well, yes. I'm not quite sure of the details but if I remember correctly they did mention something about a king and how this Cornerstone was a gift to protect the world. I believe it was shortly after that the barrier went up around your world."

Still looking rather stunned, Toshiro looked at the stone again. No wonder it had such immense Spirit Energy, it was from the Soul King! He got a feeling it wasn't just to protect the world from darkness, he felt it was also meant to create a sort of safe haven, as if the Soul King knew Soul Reapers would be taken despite the barrier, hoping they would come here.

'_**Are you going to tell the Head Captain about this?**_' Hyorinmaru questioned.

'_I'm not sure…This is a cherished item here, something that protects them from beings like Maleficent. I'm worried the Head Captain will try to reclaim it since it is from our world, which will put this one in danger._'

'_**If it is truly a gift from the Soul King he would not dare remove it. Nor do I think he would take away something so crucial to this world's security.**_'

'_Perhaps. He does know about other worlds already._'

"I had no idea this was such an important gift." Minnie's voice brought him from his thoughts. She was looking up at the Cornerstone in awe. "It truly is our most cherished item, even more so now."

"It's in good hands." Toshiro told her, bowing.

With that little shock over, Chip and Dale led him and Sora to guest rooms for them to sleep in, Minnie pulling the Keybearer aside for a moment to gift him something. Goofy went to check up on his comrades, Toshiro surprised to learn that he was Captain of the Royal Knights and bringing up his respect for the dog. Donald was the Court Magician, dragged off by his lady to 'catch up', though the duck didn't look happy about it. Luckily Sora had locked the door to the past.

Said Keybearer was already asleep in the room they were sharing before Toshiro could ask what the queen had given him. Minnie had offered them separate rooms, but Toshiro declined, saying it would be easier to keep an eye on the Keybearer in case he wandered off, and so if anything happened they would at least be together to help as a much stronger force.

With the Cornerstone having restored his energy, Toshiro decided to instead meditate and speak to his zanpaktou before resting. He thought about contacting the Head Captain but didn't want to wake Sora.

The night passed easily, though it took some effort to get Sora out of bed. The Keybearer groaned in complaint, snapping at the Captain that he was too sore. When ice frosted his body the brunette snapped up in bed, brushed it off as fast as possible, and shot the Captain a pout before walking out. They met up with the others in the library.

"Hey Daisy." Sora turned to the female duck, who had a firm grip on her partner. "We need to borrow Donald for a little longer.

"How much longer?" She huffed, crossing her arms.

"I'll be back, Daisy." Donald promised with a smile. Satisfied, Daisy pecked him on the cheek and Donald rejoined their little troupe looking visually happier.

"We'll be back soon Queen Minnie." Goofy said to the mouse.

"Tell the King we're still looking for him." Sora added.

"I will." She nodded with a smile.

On that note they left to the ship, fully rejuvenated, and checked the map.

"Whoa, look!" Sora pointed out excitedly, pulling up the close up of what they believed to be the Soul Society.

It was far more visible now than before, but a barrier was clear to be seen on it. From the universal map it seemed like a world split in two, part of it showing the Sokyoku Hill and the structure of the Soul Society, the other showing the World of the Living with Karakura Town as it's representative town, no doubt because of it being the Enriched Spirit Zone. There was a tiny Hell Gate at its center to represent that realm and a sort of off-to-the-side world of desert, showing Hueco Mundo. It was a rather jumbled mess, but that was expected for a world with multiple realms.

"We can't get in yet." Toshiro noted. "But we're definitely closer."

"We just gotta find the item that will take down that barrier." Goofy agreed. "Let's see which world is next."

There were two new worlds opened. One looked like an underwater kingdom, the other a pirate ship, complete with the skull and crossbones.

"I think a better question would be which one we should go to next." Toshiro frowned.

"Let's go to Atlantica." Donald suggested. "I wonder what Ariel is up to."

"I'll have to get used to fins again." Sora sighed lightly. "Well, Atlantica it is."

"Fins?" Toshiro quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, Atlantica is underwater." Sora called back. "Donald's magic will change us so we fit in better."

"So…we're going to be merpeople?"

"Yeah." Sora wondered why this was so confusing to the Soul Reaper.

"You realize my power controls all the water in the atmosphere and turns it to ice, right?"

"Uh-huh…oh…"

The trio up front shared glances, making a mental note not to anger the Captain or risk freezing the entire ocean.

"Well…maybe there won't be any Heartless." Sora offered nervously.

"Don't get your hopes up." Donald snorted.

They pushed through the path, clearing out the Heartless before them as the underwater world came into view. The closer they got the more nervous Toshiro became. The slightest rise in his Spiritual Pressure and he could freeze over an entire civilization. This world was not going to be fun. Maybe he could get Kurotsuchi to double the Limiter, just in case.

Too late, they were already there.

"Okay, let's go!" Sora called out joyously. Donald cast a spell just as Sora used the teleportation device to send them down. Accompanying the normal dizzying feeling of teleporting was the strangest sensation of his body changing form.

And then he was surrounded by water.

* * *

**Not much to say except that i'm going to have SO much fun with him in Atlantcia *evil smile* Enjoy!**


	48. Atlantica: A Musical For Everyone!

Teal eyes snapped open to a view he did not expect, a brightly lit ocean floor with colorful sea-life and fish. What's more, he seemed to be upside down. He tried to right himself but his legs wouldn't work. He looked down to see he had no legs but a long fish half of bright white scales and sharp edged fins. It took him a moment to figure out how to move until he was right side up again, a scowl on his face. His uniform was gone, as was his haori and scarf, though now he had a badge on his arm the way a Lieutenant would that was all white save for the black symbol of his squad, and at least Hyorinmaru was still strapped to his back. He was worried the blade would have fallen out while he was upside down but the dragon had the foresight to freeze himself to the sheath.

"Hey, you look cool as a merman." Sora said, his fish half being that of a dolphin, dark blue in color. Donald was half octopus with blue and yellow tentacles and Goofy was a turtle of all things. Sora's expression shifted as he caught sight of something. "Whoa...where did you get that scar?"

At first confused, Toshiro looked down and spotted the long scar he'd gotten from Aizen, now completely visible since he wasn't wearing his uniform. Now a little nervous as they all turned to see it, Toshiro avoided the question and instead tried to figure out how to move. The Keybearer frowned at having his question dodged and opened his mouth to inquire further.

"Sora!" A female voice interrupted and they turned to see a mermaid with bright red hair and a green tail swim towards them with a yellow and blue fish at her side, a small red crab on its back. "Donald! Goofy!"

"Hey Ariel!" Sora greeted, also seeming to have trouble moving right.

"Forget how to swim already?" The mermaid giggled.

"Kinda…I guess." Sora laughed nervously.

"Oh, someone new." Ariel swam towards Toshiro with ease and he frowned, trying to figure out how she did it. Sure she lived her life as a mermaid, but there had to be a trick to it. She didn't seem to mind the sword at his back or the scar. "Hello there, I'm Ariel."

"Toshiro Hitsugaya." Toshiro replied. He didn't even try to give his usual bow as he failed at getting his tail to move the way he wanted it to. It was nothing like moving the ice tail on his Bankai, at least then he had his own legs.

"Guess you and Sora both need a swimming lesson." Ariel swam around him and his jealousy grew a bit. "Come on Sebastian, help them out!"

The red crab swam its way over and cleared his throat, accent heavily Jamaican.

"You follow Flounder – he show you what to do!" He pointed out the fish. "Just get those fins a floppin'!"

"Easier said than done." Toshiro scowled, being careful not to let his Spiritual Pressure rise too much.

'_**Move the tail as you would a wing.**_' Hyorinmaru suggested, not really sure what to say considering he was a dragon, not a fish. '_**Same flow of movement.**_'

'_Not really._'

Flounder swam off and Sora followed after him, twisting a little as he moved wrong. The Keybearer had previous experience, however, while Toshiro did not.

"C'mon, you can do it." Ariel cheered, swimming past him slowly to show him the movement. He watched her for a moment before attempting to copy it.

It was slow progress, but he eventually figured it out and could keep up with Sora as the Keybearer helped him along. Swimming while half fish was definitely a new experience but it had its merits. A lot of it was stomach movement, and once he had the hang of it his strength as a Soul Reaper led to speed as a merman.

"Ya got it!" Sebastian cheered. "For a first timer, ya pretty good at it."

"He's a prodigy." Sora smirked, swimming up next to the crab.

"Prodigy?" Ariel questioned, tilting her head.

"It means he's really smart." Goofy offered.

"Oh!"

After one last swim around to make sure he had the hang of it, Toshiro joined them.

"So what brings you four to de sea?" Sebastian questioned. "Is something up?"

"Kinda…" Sora scratched his head.

"But everything SEEMS peaceful." Goofy added on to reassure them.

"It is, there's not a single Heartless here." Toshiro told them.

"Awesome!" Sora beamed.

"Oh everything's fine." Ariel nodded. "As long as daddy's in a good mood…"

Toshiro tilted his head in curiosity.

"Her dad is King Triton, ruler of the seas." Sora explained. "Ariel's a princess."

"Oh…"

"Hey, we got us a concert very soon." Sebastian caught their attention. "Why don't you sing in my musical extravaganza?"

"Sing?" Toshiro seemed to pale, even more as Sebastian nodded. "No."

"It'll be fun." Sora beamed. "Take a break from running around after Heartless."

Before he could answer, the crab got very close to his face.

"Please say yes, Ariel's been acting very strange lately." He whispered. Then he turned to Sora. "But she might settle down and practice if you're dere too."

"They can sing, I'm not." Toshiro grumbled.

"Live a little, Toshiro." Sora nudged the Captain.

"I'm NOT singing."

"I'll teach ya everything ya need!" Sebastian offered, obviously desperate.

The glare he received was a definite No and they all sighed and gave in. He was not budging on this one.

"Alright then Sora, Donald, Goofy." Sebastian turned to them. "Let's get started!"

With his position on the singing clear, Toshiro moved away to the edge of the small underwater clearing, remaining there against the wall with his arms crossed. He was starting to think this world was a waste of time, watching as the trio danced along to music the crab had some fish playing and eventually with Ariel.

'_**You're such a killjoy.**_'

'_I have better things to be doing than singing and dancing. Besides, I would look ridiculous considering I have you strapped to my back._'

'_**I think you could live through one musical without me, it's not all that dangerous.**_'

'_Shut up, you're not the one who'd be singing._'

For the duration of the practice the Ice Captain simply watched, waiting for them to finish so they could get a move on. There were no Heartless here and he couldn't sense the item they needed, so they had no purpose here.

Finally they finished and Toshiro swam up to join them, hoping they could leave now.

"When you're ready to sing in de musical, come talk to me." The crab finished saying and he grimaced. So they weren't done here.

"We should really be going." Toshiro suggested, making sure his tone held authority.

"But wait, we were gonna help Ariel with the musical." Sora frowned. "You should really join in, I bet you're a good singer."

"I'm not singing, Sora. I'm sure I can find something to do while you three do the musical."

"You're no fun." Sora copied Toshiro's scowl. The Reaper paused for a moment, as his scowl on Sora's face looked a little ridiculous.

"My cold demeanor doesn't suit you, Sora, stop it."

Sora laughed.

"That's what you look like all the time!" He poked fun. "I know you can smile, so come on! Promise I won't tell your friends."

"I know you won't because it's not happening."

"Please?"

"If you knew how much experience I have ignoring that pouting face, Sora, you wouldn't have tried it."

"Aw, you're such a killjoy!" Sora groaned.

"Hyorinmaru informed me of that."

"Ha! You should listen to your dragon! One musical, please?"

"It'll be fun, Toshiro." Ariel promised.

"Please call me Hitsugaya." He told her, tone a little lighter than he had been to the Keybearer.

Ariel seemed confused about that. The princess seemed to be a bit naïve for her age, which Toshiro found disconcerting.

"You can try all you like, I'm not singing." Toshiro snapped at Sora.

The Keybearer stuck his tongue out, causing Toshiro to scowl once more as Sora laughed. The brunette was having far too much fun with this and it was beginning to irritate him. They had a job to do and a world to unlock, they didn't have time for musicals.

"Just go do your musical." Toshiro sighed and quickly swam off before they could stop him.

"Hm." Sora mused aloud. "There's gotta be a way to get him into it."

"You barely got a smile out of him last time, singing is a big leap." Donald pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll figure it out." The Keybearer looked like someone planning a particularly unpleasant scheme. "Along with clearing out Heartless and Nobodies, it'll be my mission to become Toshiro's best friend!"

"Good luck wid dat." Sebastian snickered. "Dat one is a gonna be hard to thaw."

"Yeah, I know. But hey, I gotta try!"

They headed off for the musical, deciding to leave the Captain alone for now. He'd be able to find them when he wanted to. Sora lagged behind a bit with Donald and Goofy.

"You guys saw that scar too, right?" He whispered. They nodded. "I wonder where he got it, it looks painful. It went to his back, too, like someone had cut him all the way down."

"That's impossible, he wouldn't have survived that." Donald huffed.

"Maybe we should ask him about it." Goofy suggested.

All agreed, the trio continued on to catch up with Ariel and her friends.

From further up in the water, Toshiro was able to spot the kingdom where Ariel and her father, Triton, no doubt lived. He wondered if they knew about Soul Reapers. A lot of powerful figures in worlds seemed to know about them, which made it hard to determine who he could tell what. He let out a sigh; he just wanted to get home.

He stiffened, sensing something approaching him. With a quick turn he spotted an octopus woman heading towards him with a grin, skin gray and tentacles black. She was bad news to be sure.

"Well hello there, handsome." The octopus lady said with a slightly seductive tone that only made him shudder nervously. He was not going to like this. "Nice blade ya got there."

"What do you want?" Toshiro demanded. He couldn't back away without making it obvious so he reluctantly stayed put as she floated her way towards him.

"Oh I was simply passing by." She huffed. "I don't think I've seen a young merman such as yourself around before, new here?"

"You could say that." Toshiro narrowed his eyes. It was obvious this creature knew he wasn't from the ocean, so what was she playing at? Was she like Maleficent, trying a different method to take control of the darkness in him for her own feral purposes?

"You wouldn't happen to have seen a red-haired mermaid swimming around, have you?"

"If you mean the princess then it's rather hard NOT to notice her." Toshiro drawled, trying to sound bored in order to escape.

"Hm, I suppose your right." The woman did the underwater equivalent to sticking her hip out, one hand under her chin in thought. "Well then, would you mind doing a favor for me?"

"I see no reason why I should." Annoyed, the Ice Captain attempted to swim away but was blocked quickly by the much better swimmer. "I'm not doing anything for you."

"Come now, a smart child like you could see the rewards I'm willing to give." She smirked.

Before she could explain further she noticed something interesting. In his irritation at being called a child his control had slipped, ice crackling through the water around them and dropping the temperature of the water. He quickly put it back under control and the ice returned to its liquid form, but she had already seen and was visibly excited. After all, who wouldn't want to control a being capable of freezing the entire ocean?

"You seem stressed, why don't you take a break from your travels?" She purred, not truly understanding just who she was dealing with.

"I technically am." The annoyance in his tone was obvious. "I don't have time for this."

He swam downward and the sea witch frowned. This one wasn't as easy as other mermen. She needed to find out what she could use on him.

"Flotsam. Jetsam." She snapped and two sleek gray eels curled up around her. She petted them fondly. "Keep an eye on our white haired prince for me, my dears. I want that one."

With a hiss the two creatures followed after him.

'_**You have followers.**_' Hyorinmaru growled.

'_I noticed._' Toshiro growled, having sensed the two dark Spiritual Pressures fast approaching him from behind. '_That lady was just as I thought, someone looking for ways to gain power. Looks like my slip-up made me her next target._'

He reached back for his blade, the sheath dissipating as he turned and spotted the two eels, blade forward. They seemed startled at being caught and turned tail to move away quickly. Summoning the chain-blade to hand, Toshiro tossed it at one of them and managed to catch it, making sure not to freeze it as he pulled it back towards him.

"That woman best find someone stealthier than you two if she wants to spy on me." He growled at the creature.

It scowled up at him and sent out an electric shock. The jolt made the Reaper tense a bit, but he'd had worse and was able to brush off the pain easily. However…he decided it would better help him if he seemed weak, as then the witch would be less interested. His acting skills were getting better, it seemed, as he let out a convincing yelp and had the chain unbind the creature, allowing it to dart back to its twin and out of sight.

Satisfied, Toshiro once more swam downwards and towards the underwater castle. He could hear music, though it sounded like it was nearing its finish if his knowledge of music was any good.

"…swim along, just join in the song. A musical for everyone to have a lot of finny fun." The voice sounded like Ariel's. He was close to where the music was coming from, the stage set up with giant clams and various sea life.

The princess said something to Sora and the Keyblade wielder scratched his head nervously, clearly flattered. He spotted Toshiro and waved to him as the white haired merman joined them.

"You missed it, it was so fun." Sora said with a big grin.

"You have my answer, Sora, and it's not changing." Toshiro replied quickly.

"Hey, I wanna sing more lines!" Donald quacked.

Ariel giggled at them as Hitsugaya made a face and Sora poked fun at Donald's high-pitched voice. When her smile faded into a downcast look, however, they looked at her curiously. They got no immediate answer as the princess swam a little ways away.

Sensing a strong Spiritual Pressure, Toshiro turned to see a heavy-set merman with long white hair and beard and a golden coral crown on his head, a trident in hand. Considering Ariel's reaction this man must have been her father.

"Your Majesty!" Sebastian spoke up as the king reached them. "We have visitors."

"King Triton." Sora greeted with some surprise.

The merman glanced over them, distrust on his face as he gazed upon the unfamiliar being beside them.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya." The Soul Reaper introduced himself with a bow of his head, unable to really bow while half fish. "Sora is helping me home."

The Keybearer nodded and the merman's distrust faded some.

"I hope there hasn't been any need to use that Keyblade of yours." Triton said, tone somewhat dangerous, a clear warning. Toshiro was surprised he knew about the Keyblade and what it was for.

"Nope." Sora shrugged. "Everything's fine, not a Heartless in sight."

The king gave a sigh of relief and a kind smile. Sebastian swam over to hover by his head.

"Your Majesty, our guests, dey wanna sing in de musical." He reported.

Toshiro opened his mouth to argue but was cut off by Triton.

"That sounds like a splendid idea." He smiled. His expression became serious and he moved a little closer to them. "We may need your help after all. You see, Ariel's still infatuated with the human world. A busy schedule might be just what she needs to stop thinking about life up on the surface."

"I can understand your concern but I must point out, I'm not-" Toshiro began before Sora cut him off this time.

"We'll do it, you can count on us!" The Keybearer beamed.

"Thank you." The king nodded to them before swimming off.

"Sora." Toshiro growled and said brunette flinched away. "We don't have time for musicals, there could be Heartless in the other worlds, and the ones in Hollow Bastion may be overwhelming the Committee."

"You worry too much." Sora frowned. "And I did just promise King Triton we'd help, ALL of us."

"Come on, Captain." Donald pleaded.

"Just for a little bit." Goofy added.

"I said no and I mean it." The water started cooling down, Sebastian panicking a bit.

"But you're really good with plans and stuff, you could help us make sure Ariel is occupied so she doesn't go to the surface." Sora suggested.

"Yeah, you wouldn't even have to sing in the musical." Donald agreed, nodding vigorously.

The Soul Reaper growled; why were they so determined that he take part in this?

"Fine." He spat. "I'll help."

"Yes! Thank you, Captain!" Sora cheered, victorious, and swam over to Ariel to tell her he would be participating.

'_I'm going to hate every minute of this._'

* * *

**Trying to catch this one back up to Soul Prince. I post a chapter a day for both, but this one fell behind with all the double updates I did for Soul Prince.**

**Anyway! Atlantica is nothing but musicals so prepare for some torture- I mean, musical fun, Toshiro! Hehe...**

**Enjoy!**

**EDIT: A very nice person reminded me about the scar Toshiro had and with him being pretty much shirtless in this world it would be glaringly obvious to see, but I neglected to mention it. So I fixed that problem, so sorry for the mistake. Now I've gotta go through my chapters after this and put in a conversation where they ask about it. Enjoy!**


	49. Atlantica: Mermaids to Pirates

Ariel did not like Sora's new friend.

He always seemed to know when she was trying to sneak away to the surface and herded her back to the others, and no amount of stealth could get her past him. He was quick and smart and impossible to beat.

She knew her father had put him up to it, that he was just doing what he was asked, but it still made her dislike him.

She didn't hate him though. He had too good of a voice for that.

It had taken hours to get the white haired merman to try even one line, but when they had managed it they were startled by his talent. Despite their praise he refused to sing another line, a slight pink tone to his cheeks the only thing revealing his embarrassment. Ariel herself ended up having to open him up to where he would accept and sing with them. He was quiet at first, out of his element and very uncomfortable, but they helped him every step of the way.

"You just gotta feel the beat." Sora said, dancing along to the song Sebastian had some of the creatures playing.

"Once you're into the music everything else falls right into place." Ariel added with a smile. She focused less and less on the surface and more on helping the stage frightened traveler feel the rhythm. With Sora helping her it was a mission she was determined to complete.

Their 'student' scowled at the both of them but tried it. There was no way he could say he'd never danced before, but when one is half fish it makes the movements that much harder to get down, and while he was a good fighter…well, dancing was definitely not his strong point. He left that to maybe Rangiku, if she wasn't always drunk when she did it.

Sora watched happily as the Ice Captain did his best to follow his movements and follow along. It was his turn to teach the Reaper something, to really earn his trust here.

"Put a little more feeling into it." Sora said, spinning through the water and flipping backwards, putting his arms out at the end for a dramatic finish.

With Ariel doing it with him, Hitsugaya managed a similar spin flip.

"You're too stiff." She pointed out. "Just try to relax."

"I think I'll stick to singing, that won't be as noticeable." He grumbled back.

"You're just not into it, Toshiro." Sora crossed his arms.

"That's Hitsugaya to you, Sora." Came the expected reply and Sora face-palmed. At least the wasn't demanding to be called Captain, though he guessed it was because he hadn't told the natives his title.

Throughout the rehearsals they got him to practice a little more but it usually ended up with some frustration on the Reaper's part and cold water. It was very hard to get him into the music; someone as used to fighting as he was did not seem to be willing to let loose and have a little fun. But he at least tried, and that was more than they could ask for without having him freeze the stage. They were walking a fine line.

Even though she was interested in helping the white haired boy, Ariel still found herself wondering about the surface, and it was beginning to show through as Toshiro's continued success at keeping her underwater bothered her, distracting her in practices. In one of these moments, Sora approached her, looking concerned.

"Come on, we gotta keep rehearsing." He told her.

"I'm sorry." She sighed. "I don't feel like it."

The mermaid princess swam off, Toshiro keeping a look out on where she was going and ignoring Sebastian's warning shout out to her. He didn't feel like pushing her back into practice as he didn't really feel like trying any more spins or flips. He was starting to feel like a show pony and did not like the spotlight being put on him for something so childish.

"I know how to cheer Ariel up!" He heard Flounder shout as the fish darted past him and into the open waters. "C'mon, follow me!"

"Is that a good idea?" Toshiro questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

"Well, we've gotta get Ariel back in the mood somehow." Sora shrugged and swam off after the fish with Donald and Goofy close behind.

With a heavy sigh, Toshiro followed.

It was quite a ways out that the yellow fish led them, out to a more barren area of the sea floor with a large ship resting ominously upon the sands, various pieces of its broken hull scattered around. The crash was recent considering how free of sea-life it was. No coating of dust, no coral growing its way over the woodwork, no fish trying to make a home. In fact it had probably crashed only a day or two ago, right before they'd arrived.

"See?" Flounder pointed to something under a large boulder, most likely moved by the ship slamming into the dunes. "Ariel's gonna love it!"

Underneath the boulder was a statue of a human prince, the polished granite well worked by expert hands.

"I thought the point was to make Ariel stop thinking about the surface." Toshiro frowned.

"But maybe if we give her this she won't go up there anymore." Sora argued.

"Or she'll want to go more."

"It's worth a shot, isn't it?" Flounder asked, tone desperate.

"I suppose…" Toshiro mused. "But you better hope King Triton doesn't find out about it."

At that, Sebastian, who had hitched a ride on Goofy, shivered uncomfortably.

"Help me move it." Sora called out to his companions, gripping onto one edge of the boulder to try and lift it up.

One by one his three companions grabbed hold, but not even Toshiro's strength as a Soul Reaper could move it enough to dig out the statue. It was too far dug into the ground, and if Toshiro used Kido there was a chance of breaking what they were trying to salvage, not to mention they would startle the natives. They were at a loss.

"We can't do anything." Sora huffed, swimming back over to Flounder and Sebastian. "If you give us some time we might be able to find something to lift the boulder with."

"Okay, we'll wait for you." Flounder grinned.

"So we're finally moving on?" Toshiro questioned, looking hopeful.

"Yeah, we've gotta find some kind of spell that will let us move it."

"Once we've got it we'll be back for rehearsals." Donald promised the sea creatures.

Sebastian and Flounder thanked them as the group of four travelers returned to the Gummi Ship to head on to the next world.

There were no words to express how happy Toshiro was to have normal legs again.

"Darn, I was hoping we'd be able to move it." Sora sighed. "Well, guess we keep going, we'll be back later."

"Hopefully we'll make it back in time for the musical." Goofy added.

They heard Toshiro grunt and snickered a bit, knowing how much he had disliked rehearsals.

The ship was steered away from the underwater world and off towards the other, a pirate ship, so no doubt littered with untrustworthy pirates, though Sora seemed ecstatic about it. While the Keybearer drove, Donald decided to look closer at the Soul Society, remembering what all he'd been told about it.

"Captain." He quacked back.

"Yes?"

"Since the path to your world is open more, would the connection be better?"

"Perhaps." Toshiro walked up to the front, the ride still smooth sailing for a while. "I needed to report to the Head Captain anyway."

"Could we talk to him?" Sora piped up. At Hitsugaya's surprised glance he quickly explained. "Ya know, so he can know who you've been travelling with and stuff, and we can ask him if he knows about the Heartless and the Nobodies."

"If there's time." The Reaper replied carefully while retrieving the Soul Pager from his pocket. "Hm…perhaps I should check up on Demyx as well."

"I wonder how he's holding up." Sora mused aloud. "I mean, the organization is gonna be after him now."

"Why is a Nobody helping us anyway?" Donald crossed his arms, a suspicious look on his face.

"The part of you that makes you who you are is not just the heart, it is the soul." Toshiro explained. "Since Demyx was once a Soul Reaper his soul is stronger, therefore more of him would have survived becoming a Nobody. He will have more feelings than the other Nobodies; his actions will be more true to himself. I won't deny he'll have times where he'll be as empty as the rest of them, but it's less likely for him than the others."

As he was explaining this he had Donald hook up the phone to the ship and was dialing the number he'd been given by Demyx.

"Hopefully this is actually his number." The Ice Captain frowned at the thought of the Water Nobody pranking them when they were still very suspicious towards him.

There was an immediate reply as it started ringing.

"_I'm guessing that's you, Captain?_" Demyx's voice whispered. By that they could tell he was somewhere where he couldn't talk to loudly.

"Yes." Toshiro replied. "What's going on?"

"_Oh, uh well…_" There was some shuffling. "_Turns out I'm not as good at sneaking around as Axel. The boss is already onto me and his second in command has been dogging me for days now, trying to get me to slip up. I haven't said anything but I've been trying to get out of the castle without them noticing_."

"Castle?" Sora questioned.

"_The boss likes extravagant things; he picked a castle as or HQ. If I can get away I'll tell ya about it._" The Nobody yelped. "_Sorry, gotta go!_"

"Wait!" Donald shouted but he'd already hung up. "Darn…"

"It's best we leave him be for a while if he's telling the truth." Toshiro sighed, dialing up the Head Captain. "He sounded sincere enough but it's harder to tell with just his voice."

"He's not the best actor." Sora snickered.

"Actually he's a very good one when he wants to be." Toshiro corrected and Sora did a double-take. "I just happen to be good at noticing when it's fake because my Lieutenant is a rather good actor herself, though I swear she does it to annoy me."

The Keybearer snickered and instead of glaring this time the Soul Reaper just shook his head as if disappointed.

They got quiet as they waited for the Head Captain to respond to the call. It hadn't taken this long last time, they wondered if he was perhaps busy, Toshiro wondering if there was a meeting right now. What a time to have one.

But then their screen flickered and was taken up by a visual of a man with a long beard kept neat in purple ribbon, a white haori hung over his shoulders and wrinkled hands resting upon a thick wooden cane. Next to the old Reaper was a man with black and white face paint and a golden mantle, golden eyes hungrily taking in what he saw through the video as well as Toshiro's Lieutenant, a busty woman with short, strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes, pink scarf over her shoulders.

"_Captain!_" Rangiku Matsumoto called out cheerily. "_It's so good to see you again! I've been so worried!_"

"_Matsumoto._" The Head Captain snapped and she went silent immediately. Toshiro silently thanked him. "_As you can see, Captain Hitsugaya, we managed to connect to the ship's system and pull up the video feed so we can talk face to face._"

"Of course." Toshiro nodded.

"_And the three with you are?_" The old man looked at the others. Even through the screen they felt nervous under his gaze, hastily standing from their seats and saluting.

"I'm Sora, sir." The brunette spoke. "This is Donald and Goofy."

"_I see, so you're the Keybearer._" Yamamoto mused aloud. "_Have you managed to open the pathway here, yet?_"

"Er, well, there's still a barrier around it."

Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the face painted man, gave a knowing snort.

"_But of course, a child couldn't possibly open the pathway in one go._" He sneered. "_It was just as I thought; more than one key is needed to open the path due to this Keybearer's incompetence._"

"Hey!" Sora bristled.

Toshiro held a hand out to quiet him.

"More than one key is needed, Kurotsuchi, because the barrier around the Soul Society has been around for centuries and even a master with a Keyblade would not be able to open that barrier with a single key, not because of Sora's lack of skill. For a human as young as he is his power is surprisingly high and he can cope with using mine."

"_Using yours, Captain?_" Rangiku looked confused, Mayuri intrigued.

"The Keyblade is capable of absorbing Spirit Energy and transforming into a sort of copy of that person's zanpaktou." He nodded to Sora and the Keybearer summoned the Keyblade he'd gotten from Olympus Coliseum. Mayuri was watching with fascination as the younger Captain touched the Keyblade for a brief moment before it shifted into Frozen Heavens. "While in this form he can use my abilities and powers, but it's not a direct copy of Hyorinmaru. His attacks are half the strength of my own and it can only hold that form for one minute for every second I hold onto it."

"_Fascinating._" Mayuri practically purred. "_It's basically a more temporary version of giving the power of a Soul Reaper to a human, one that does not directly affect the soul of either company._"

Toshiro could already see the horrible ideas Mayuri was coming up with to take the Keyblade from Sora and experiment with it. He'd need to make sure that didn't happen. He caught Rangiku's eye and made the slightest movement. She nodded, serious, before acting like it hadn't happened. She would now keep a close eye on the scientist and would be there to help protect the Keybearer from any schemes of his when they managed to make it there.

"_Captain Hitsugaya._" Yamamoto's stern voice caught their attention and the scientist backed away from the screen. "_What is the situation in these other worlds? Why is it taking you so long to return?_"

"Have you heard of the Heartless, Head Captain?" Toshiro ventured.

"_I have indeed. They halt your progress?_"

"Yes, but not just them. Have you heard of Nobodies, the shell left behind by a Heartless?"

"_No, these creatures are new to me._"

With some input from Donald, Goofy and Sora they explained in brief about the Nobodies and the organization, though the Ice Captain did not mention Demyx. He wasn't sure if the Nobody could truly be trusted yet, so it was best not to make any promises.

"_I see, so Organization XIII is becoming a problem._" Yamamoto thought about it for a moment. "_This Kingdom Hearts is something I have not heard of. It was never important for a world of spirits, considering its focus seems to be on the heart._ "

"Are you considering assisting Sora in this fight, Head Captain?" Toshiro asked, curious.

"_Our world may not be affected by the problems of other worlds, but you have become involved in this crisis and I'm sure they will not stop with just you. Our world has been revealed to them now, and I will not allow them to think we will sit idle and let them have their way._"

"Awesome!" Sora cheered. "So if we open the path to Soul Society you'll let more guys like Captain Hitsugaya help us?"

"_That is up for debate. We cannot leave our own world defenseless and the Captains are this world's primary defense. Lieutenant Matsumoto is managing to keep Squad Ten going but it is in need of a Captain._"

"My squad was able to run itself under Third Seat Wakaba while Matsumoto and I were in the World of the Living to protect it from the Arrancar." Toshiro spoke up. "If you're willing to help in this fight, sir, may I suggest my advance team? The same one as those stationed in Karakura Town?"

"_That would be a good idea!_" Rangiku beamed. "_We generally work well with one another and we were able to hold off the Arrancars._"

"_As I said it is up for debate._" Yamamoto's tone got somewhat harsh as the Squad Ten duo attempted to push the idea onto him. "_I understand we don't have long for these conversations. Keep a look out for the key to opening the barrier, Captain Hitsugaya, and watch yourself around Organization XIII. The less they know the better._"

"Understood." Toshiro gave a respectful bow.

The screen cut out.

"He's actually willing to let more of you guys help us." Sora beamed as Toshiro retrieved his Soul Pager. "Organization XIII is going down!"

"He said it's up for debate, Sora." Toshiro reminded. "Though it does seem like he's willing to lend a few soldiers that doesn't mean the other Captains will agree. His decision is the final one, but he does let the other Captains have their say, and if someone brings up a good point as to why we shouldn't help you he'll go with that instead."

"He better not." Now the Keybearer frowned. "I mean, he said it himself, right?" He watched the Soul Reaper walk back to his seat. "If the organization manages to beat you somehow they'll try to get to the Soul Society too, and then you'll have Nobodies all over the place."

"Then the decision may be to wait until I return before closing off the barrier when you leave. Without a Keybearer and a Soul Reaper above Third Seat strength they can't get in. They had Demyx until we managed to convince him otherwise, but even he was only a Thirteenth Seat, not nearly strong enough." The Keybearer pouted and Toshiro sighed. "We'll do our best, Sora, but laws are in place in the Soul Society for a reason. If there's anything that could severely unbalance the cycle of souls in the Soul Society by entering this fight we won't do it."

"Right." Sora nodded and faced forward, starting them off again. "But imagine how easy it would be with more Soul Reapers on our side."

"Organization XIII will be thinking the same thing, and we all saw how Maleficent attempted to recruit me."

"That Maleficent." Donald growled, feathers ruffled. "How did she come back anyway?"

"Gawrsh, I dunno." Goofy frowned. "Uh-oh, time to fight!"

The conversation was pushed aside as they focused on getting to the next world. Hopefully they could find the next item they needed here.

* * *

**Really looooooong chapter. They'll ask about the scar again later when they're not preoccupied with...stuff. So Sora gets to meet the Head Captain, and unfortunately Mayuri and Rangiku XD Time to meet the pirates! Enjoy!**


	50. Port Royal: Pirates of the Dead

As they appeared in the world, they found themselves walking along the stone floors of a tower, overlooking the vast ocean. There was a bell, no doubt a warning bell, and multiple cannons along the walls. Unlike other worlds, this one definitely had a very dark atmosphere that set Sora, Donald and Goofy on edge.

"This world is…" Sora paused, unable to think of a good word for it.

"Kinda different." Goofy finished for him, looking over the walls at the sharp rocks below.

Toshiro had walked over to the stone railing by the stairs leading downward to the town, having sensed something interesting. It wasn't Heartless. If he was honest, it felt more like human souls on the verge of becoming Hollows yet still distinctly human, so…living humans about to become Hollows? That wasn't possible.

There was screaming in the direction of the town and he stiffened. Time to get moving. He didn't wait for Sora and the others, knowing they would head for the same place, just bolted on ahead with Flash Step. Considering the world's icon, he could be relatively sure that it was just a bunch of pirates. He readied himself to get a lot of sneers about his age and height before pausing at the docks, several pirates standing around in front of none other than Pete.

"See there?" Pete pointed him out and they all turned. "He's one of 'em, and his blade can hurt ya."

'_Why would he need to tell them that?_' Toshiro wondered, focusing on the pirates. They were the source of the Hollow-like Spirit Energy. '_Unless…_'

Without speaking he unsheathed his blade and stood firm under the stares of the thuggish men. They would be relatively simple to defeat, but he hoped not to kill them. It was his job to protect the living, and despite their profession they were living beings…at least, they looked like living beings, their Spiritual Pressure said otherwise which made him tense.

"This be a danger to us?" One of the pirates chuckled, clothing dark and Victorian aged, a hat upon his head with a feather in it. "He's but a child."

"Oh I know he looks like one, but he isn't." Pete warned.

"Have you finally gotten some sense then, Pete?" Toshiro spoke finally.

Growling, the cat went quiet.

"Tell me," Toshiro turned to who he supposed was the leader, the brown haired man with the hat who had called him a child, "are you considered among the dead?"

"We may be, yet we may not." He smirked. "We are neither living nor dead. Best go home now, lad, it's not in my best interest to slaughter children."

"I'm actually trying to get home, but I suppose a few detours isn't all that bad." He paused, sensing Sora and the others approaching. Perhaps once they arrived he could let them handle things here and move into the town to check on the living. He didn't expect any souls, of course, but it was best to get these undead pirates out quickly.

"That's your choice to make, lad. Mind giving us a name? Need something to put on your tombstone, after all."

"Where I'm from you give your name to the person you're about to kill so they can know who killed them after death." Toshiro couldn't help but smirk as the pirate frowned. "I'm Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya."

"And what ship would let a young lad command them?"

"I don't command a ship, I command an armed unit." He lifted his blade, grip tightened. "And I command them because none of them match up to my strength."

The pirate scoffed and signaled for his people to move forward. Just in time, Sora and the others showed up.

"There's the rest of the punks." Pete growled.

"That's Sora, Donald and Goofy to you!" Sora snapped, summoning his Keyblade, which he'd named Hero's Crest, and standing next to the Ice Captain. "And don't you forget it!"

"I think I'm rubbing off on you." Toshiro noted, not having meant to say that out loud. The Keybearer stifled a laugh to try and keep serious.

"Aye, and we'll engrave it on your tombstone to be sure." The pirate took off his hat and gave a dramatic bow. "Captain Barbossa, at your service."

Considering what he had just tolled Barbossa, Toshiro frowned at the man's arrogance.

"I'm just gonna…" Pete moved steadily away from the fight. Nobody seemed to care so the cat took off.

"Men!" Barbossa turned to the pirates with him. "Half of you stay here and indulge these cullies. The rest – bring me that medallion!"

Four of the pirates broke off to head towards them, the others making their way towards the town. Hitsugaya was not about to have any of that and Flash Stepped over to stand in front of them. The surprise on their faces was amusing, but now was not the time to play around. He had to keep them from getting by.

"We'll take you all down!" Sora shouted bravely, leaping forward.

The Keyblade went right through.

"Huh?" Startled, Sora was kicked roughly away by the pirate he had just tried to attack, the crossbow aimed at him as he tried to scramble to his feet.

The pirate was distracted, however, as one of his comrades was thrown at him and he heard the others gasp in surprise. Barbossa turned towards the white haired boy to see the long blade stabbing right through the heart of one of his men. What's more, the man being stabbed looked horrified and in pain.

"Impossible!" Barbossa shouted. "We are not dead, therefore we cannot die!"

"But I am dead." Toshiro replied calmly, removing his blade and watching the undead pirate disintegrate into blue spirit particles. They were living Hollows, pretty much, untouchable by the living. "My blade was designed to destroy creatures like you."

Saying this, he cut down another pirate before kicking another one away from the bridge leading to town. They all backed away, wary.

The pirate cut down did not disintegrate. Instead, black chains rose up from the ground and latched onto him before pulling him under into a gaping pit that opened underneath him, green energy swirling inside. It seemed they were to head to the Underworld when killed. Toshiro was glad it was that and not Hell, he didn't know how the others would react to seeing those giant gates.

"There is still only one of you." Barbossa snarled. "Your lackeys can't hurt us."

And then the moonlight showed down upon them.

Flesh rotted off and revealed the skeleton beneath, organs gone and clothing falling apart. Startled, Donald shot a spell at them.

It connected.

"They can now." Toshiro noted, watching Barbossa's face light up in shock.

"This is not over." The man spat and darted away to his ship. His men followed quickly, worried for their lives, something they had not had to do for many months. They were not followed.

With the town safe from at least those pirates, the others put away their weapons.

"If Pete's here that means we've got work to do." Sora frowned, arms crossed.

"And that pirate captain looked kinda mean." Goofy added, also frowning as he watched the ship move on. Donald ruffled his feathers in annoyance before settling back down. "Gawrsh, what if he gets turned into a Heartless?"

"Let's hope not."

"Since we're here we better check the town." Toshiro cut in, heading that direction.

"Hey, maybe we can take a pirate ship out for a spin!" Came Sora's excited voice and the Reaper turned back to look at him like he was crazy. So were Donald and Goofy. "Just kidding."

"I doubt that." The brunette smiled sheepishly at Hitsugaya's remark. "Come on, there's Heartless heading to the town."

With that the trio was following him quickly.

They were quick to rush into the town, attacking Heartless that approached them. The Shadows and Soldiers were easy to kill now, simply nuances trying to distract them. Sora had hardly any trouble with them at all, and Donald and Goofy both only spared a single hit before moving on, their opponents destroyed. People were panicking as they ran from the strange creatures, a brave few trying to protect themselves only to realize nothing they used could hurt the creatures, including guns. Toshiro wrinkled his nose; he didn't like the smell of the smoke these weapons gave off and didn't remember them giving off such a foul smell when he saw one being used in the World of the Living.

They spotted one man, cornered by the Heartless, looking furious and distracted, trying to catch sight of something disappearing into the depths of the town.

"What are these?" The man questioned as he turned his attention to the little black creatures.

"Heartless!" Donald answered him in a shout. "Watch out!"

"_Way of Destruction Number Four, Pale Lightning!_" Toshiro chanted, sending the blue bolt into the crowd of Heartless. It obliterated most of them and with one swipe Sora had killed the rest.

The man looked startled, even more so as he looked to see who it was that had helped him. The Ice Captain could only imagine what was going on through his mind; saved by two children, a duck, and a dog on two legs. Well, he couldn't blame him.

"Well done." The man was eventually able to get out, looking past the strangeness of their appearance due to the strangeness of the enemies they fought. "My own fencing skills aren't to be ashamed of…but I've never faced foes such as these before."

"You think we're that good?" Sora smirked, arms behind his head. Rolling his eyes, Toshiro elbowed him and the Keybearer got quiet, frowning.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Goofy questioned, pointing out how the man had been looking for something, or someone, when they'd arrived.

"No, I was too late." He sighed. "But I must rescue Elizabeth! Will you help me?"

The man looked hopeful that they would.

"Of course!" Sora grinned. "I'm Sora. This is Donald, Goofy and Toshiro."

The Soul Reaper glared.

"I mean, Captain Hitsugaya." Sora remedied quickly. The Keybearer was somewhat frustrated that Toshiro wouldn't let him be called by his first name.

"I'm William Turner." The man introduced, though he seemed curious about the white haired boy's title. "But call me Will."

"Okay, Will. Let's go."

"Right. We have to get to the docks!"

It was time to head backwards. Toshiro promised to meet up with them and quickly swept through the town, killing off the Heartless there. He couldn't just leave the townspeople defenseless against the creatures, and thankfully he was fast. There were a few of the undead pirates as well, ones that must have already been in the town, and so several more souls were sent to the Underworld.

Once that was done he joined back up with the others at the docks, startling will as he appeared out of seemingly thin air.

"That pirate guy kidnapped someone." Sora reported to the Reaper, unaffected by his sudden appearance.

"Now they've sailed." William sighed, motioning towards the retreating black ship. "I'll never be able to find her."

Toshiro was about to say something when another voice broke in.

"Then she's long gone." They turned, spotting a man with long, tangled black hair and a rather haggard appearance, beads in his short beard. "The Black Pearl is nigh uncatchable. Best find yourself another girl, mate."

They watched him jump on board a different ship, clearly British made compared to the black ship that had just sailed, sails ragged.

"You…" Will called out curiously. "What are you doing aboard the Interceptor?" They walked over to the gangplank and paused. "She's off limits to civilians."

"Ah, fortunate that I'm going to commandeer her, then. She'll make a fine pirate ship."

Sora's expression lit up.

"A pirate!"

"Don't encourage him." Toshiro muttered, untrusting.

The man stood atop the ship's side, looking down at them all. He had a slight sway to his stance suggesting mild drunkenness, and his speech was somewhat slurred, but not overly. He was still sober enough to perform decently.

"Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please." The man smirked.

* * *

**I've caught up with my chapters, so posts will be a lot less frequent now. Sorry T^T But i'll keep going! I promise! Homework still isn't too heavy so I might be able to keep up with one every three or four days depending on if I get stuck or not. When school starts getting heavy I met have to do once a week or longer. Hopefully I can keep going. Love everyone who reviews! Enjoy!**


	51. Port Royal: Sailing the Seas

"Man, there are too many Captains." Donald scratched his head.

Jack looked at them strangely.

"Take me with you." Will cut in with a demand, not wanting to let the ship get any farther than it already was. "Help me hunt down the Black Pearl and save Miss Swann. I got you out of that jail cell, Sparrow. Do this, and your debt's repaid."

'_Jail cell?_' Toshiro narrowed his eyes at the pirate. '_Not a very good Captain if he gets caught._'

'_**He's the only one here with experience driving a ship.**_' Hyorinmaru grudgingly pointed out.

'_Unfortunately._'

"You'll have to win fair lady's heart alone, mate." Jack refused the deal. "I see no profit in it for me."

With a sigh, the white haired Reaper walked up the gangplank.

"C'mon, Captain Jack!" Sora pleaded.

"Are you sure you can sail her all on your own?" William questioned with a knowing look.

Jack didn't answer at first, glancing warily as Toshiro stopped next to him.

"If you don't want a free pass to the Underworld I suggest you let us on." The Reaper said calmly so only the pirate could hear. "There's someone on that ship I need to speak to, and it just so happens his allies have kidnapped this man's friend. For now we have the same goal, but we don't know how to sail a ship."

"You're lucky that I also have business with the Pearl, then." Jack frowned at him. He turned back to the others. "You have a point, mate. On board."

Sore beamed and started walking up behind William, Donald and Goofy behind him.

"Thanks, Sparrow." The man said as he passed the pirate.

"Captain Sparrow." Jack corrected, emphasizing his title.

"Sound like you, Captain Hitsugaya." Sora sent at the Reaper with a grin, also emphasizing the title.

"Does not." Toshiro frowned, moving aside so they could pass.

"So you're a Captain of some sort?" Jack looked down at the boy with mild curiosity. After the threat he'd gotten he knew this boy was more than meets the eye.

"Yes. Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya. I'm a little far from home and seeing as having two Captains on one ship is confusing I'll settle for Hitsugaya, but only on this ship." He gave an icy glare to make sure his message was clear.

"Hitsugaya it is then." Jack nodded, managing to say the name rather well despite the slur to his voice.

"I'm Sora." The Keybearer said since they were doing introductions. "This is Donald and Goofy."

"I'm Will Turner." William said.

Jack turned to him with more interest than he had the others.

"Short for William, I imagine." He mused. "No doubt named for your father, eh?"

"Yes…" William replied cautiously.

The pirate nodded.

"Well then, Mr. Turner. You get us ready to make way. I've some effects to liberate." With that he left the ship.

"Aye-aye, but hurry!"

"Naturally."

Still suspicious towards the pirate, Toshiro had the trio remain with William at the ship and followed after Jack, easily catching up to the taller man.

"What do you make of this Will?" Jack asked the small Reaper upon noticing him there.

"I tend not to judge those I've just met." Toshiro replied.

"Hm…I think my luck's about to change."

Narrowing his eyes at him suspiciously, Toshiro went silent and simply observed.

Back on the ship, William watched the two figures leave, both of them odd in their own way.

"What is he a Captain of?" He turned to Sora, the Keybearer currently attempting to untie the sails. "Hitsugaya, I mean."

"Uh, well." Sora tied down the rope before scratching his head in thought. "Where he's from, he's actually an army Captain. He's a prodigy, see, and he's incredibly strong. But he was taken from his home and we happened to find him. Now we're trying to help him find his way home."

"Perhaps you can find a Captain willing to travel the seas to where he lives." Will mused.

"Nah, we'll get there." Sora grinned. "Don't worry about it. But he's kind of a stiff sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Donald grumbled aloud. "He always looks so angry, or at least annoyed."

"But he kinda has a reason to be, doesn't he." Goofy brought up. "Remember the scar we saw?"

"Haven't found a good time to ask about it." Sora frowned. He noticed William looking at them strangely. "We noticed this big scar he has on him, like this." He used his finger as a guide and started on his left shoulder near his neck and went down his side to his hip. "It goes down the back, too, like someone had cut his arm off."

"Impossible." William looked startled. "No one would be able to live through something like that, and he still has his arm."

"Which is why we wanted to ask him about it. The first time I asked he avoided the question." The brunette went back to his earlier job, talking to himself in a low tone as he did so. "Maybe while we're sailing I'll ask him about it."

When Jack and Toshiro came back, the latter still looking wary towards the pirate, they set sail to catch the Black Pearl. Sora half expected Toshiro to get a headache like he did on the Gummi Ship, but the Reaper seemed perfectly fine. Well, his power was ice-water, so it sort of made sense. The Keybearer made several attempts to catch him alone and ask about the scar, but with him keeping such a constant watch on Sparrow, Sora never could get anywhere.

Finally the white haired Captain went below deck into the hold, with both William and Jack still on deck. Sora snagged Goofy to do his part and rushed down the wooden steps, determined to get an answer.

Toshiro looked up as he came in, one brow rising in question. It seemed the Reaper had come down to speak to Hyorinmaru without any questioning eyes upon him from the natives, the long blade in hand.

"Hey, I've got a question." Sora ventured, wondering if Hitsugaya would know his question as he tended to do.

"About what?" Apparently not, teal eyes curious as he waited for the question.

"It's about that scar." There was a pause and the brunette gulped as those cold eyes became even harder, a warning clear in their depths. "It's just…it looks like it really hurts…how did you get it?"

Scowling as the memories came forth, Toshiro didn't feel inclined to answer.

"Aizen." He said simply. "Aizen created this scar."

"Did he really cut all the way through?" Sora's voice was a small now, but he wanted to know.

"Yes. Thanks to Captain Unohana of Squad Four, which are the healers, I was able to keep my arm. Not everyone was that lucky."

"What do you mean?"

Toshiro sighed and sat down in a chair that was down in the hold, Sora shakily sitting in the other one.

"It was dubbed the Winter War. Aizen had created an army of Arrancars, which are Hollows with Soul Reaper powers, and intended to attack Karakura Town. Along with myself, many of the Captains and Lieutenants, along with other powerful Soul Reapers, replaced the town with a fake one in the Soul Society and hoped to stop Aizen there. We ended up failing."

"But you said earlier that you and your advance team managed to hold them off." Sora frowned.

"That was before Aizen showed up. They were weaker Arrancars, but still powerful. The ten most powerful Arrancar were the Espada, and the three strongest were the ones we had to fight in the war. In the end we barely managed to defeat them, and one was killed off by Aizen when he decided to join the fight. Aizen's power ended up fooling us all."

"What was his power?"

"Aizen's zanpaktou had the ability to control one's senses, all of them. Once you've seen its Shikai, he can basically show you anything he wants. We didn't know how to prevent it and so fell easily to his traps. That was why we lost."

"So is…?" Sora trailed off, not wanting to think about it.

"Karakura Town is still there." Toshiro replied and the Keybearer tilted his head, confused. "As you've noticed, Soul Society is a very strict place. It was once forbidden to have any interactions with the human world other than to fight Hollows and send off spirits. But there was one human who developed Soul Reaper powers and a lot of it. In the end it was a human who saved the town, a human who saved probably the entire Soul Society. Because of him our laws are not so harsh. He's changed a lot of the ways we do things just by barging in like a madman."

Sora couldn't help but laugh at that image, not really sure what this human hero would look like.

"Who is this guy?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki." Toshiro stood. "He's only two years older than you."

"Really?" Sora looked excited. "So I could totally get as strong as you are! If he can do it maybe I can too!"

"If you work hard enough." The Reaper smirked. "I'll warn you, though, Kurosaki had his fair share of near death experiences. In fact…I think there was one fight where he died for a brief moment."

Sora paled.

"But I don't expect anything like that to happen here." Toshiro remedied before heading back up. He'd been away long enough, there would be other times to speak to his zanpaktou.

Sora followed out after a brief delay, still looking a little pale. He wasn't stupid, people died and sometimes you couldn't do anything about it, but the thought still made him cringe.

And then there was what Toshiro had told him. He'd nearly lost his entire arm. By the same man who had nearly killed his friend Momo, no less. Why did it seem like this Aizen was targeting the white haired Captain? Was it because he was a kid? He was sure there was more to the story than what he'd been told, but the end result was the same. His new friend had been on the verge of death multiple times. That had to be terrifying.

Said Reaper was once more watching Jack, but now his focus was on the object in the pirate's hands. A small compass in a black box, which from his angle he could see was broken. Yet the man looked at it every few minutes, seemingly trusting it. But that wasn't what held his attention. It had a faint energy humming within it. It was definitely one of their key objects, but it wasn't at a point where it was usable. The Keyblade only used it to open a path when it was at a certain point, and it wasn't there yet. At least he knew what they needed.

'_**You seem to trust Sora much more now.**_' Hyorinmaru attempted conversation since there was no ship in sight.

Toshiro scowled a bit, not liking this particular conversation.

'_He's trying so hard to get me home…I thought he deserved some knowledge._'

'_**Though you still avoided the events leading up to that scar.**_'

'_You saw his face when I mentioned Kurosaki's 'death', imagine how he'd react if I told him Aizen had tricked me into stabbing one of the few people I care about, just like he had done to her before? That's probably where most of my darkness comes from…in that moment when I was…I was so angry. I wanted nothing more than to cut Aizen to pieces._'

He heard Sora speak and turned away from his inner conversation. Dwelling on those memories too long made him irritable and depressing, not what they needed right now.

"It'll be she that leads us to the Isla de Muerta," Jack replied to Sora's question about the compass, "where Barbossa's headed. Savvy?"

'_Savvy?_' Toshiro mused, unfamiliar with the word.

'_**Considering the context I guess it's a pirate's way of saying 'do you understand?'**_' Hyorinmaru offered.

'_Pirates are strange…_'

"How do you know?" Sora was standing near to Jack now, Toshiro sitting atop the railing at the back of the boat, able to hear them easily.

"Ah, lad. He and I once had our eyes on a treasure – Aztec gold. 'Twas hidden on the Isla de Muerta."

"Island of the Dead." Toshiro said aloud, figuring out what the Spanish name meant. "Let me guess, cursed treasure?"

"Smart lad." Jack nodded. "Barbossa turned traitor and stole my ship to keep the gold to himself."

"Back in the town he mentioned a medallion."

"Aye, the last piece of the treasure. He's trying to break the curse upon him. I've no desire for such treacherous spoils, but I will take back what's mine – the Black Pearl."

They sailed on towards the island for some time, following Jack's faulty compass. Not that they could do anything, none of them knew where they were going. It was nothing but open ocean for miles and Toshiro couldn't reach that far out for any sign of life other than the weak signals of some of the spiritually stronger sea life.

When they still didn't seem to be getting anywhere, Hitsugaya started to get a little frustrated. They could be going in circles for all he knew. Plus, his limbs were starting to feel sore. Ever since Atlantica he'd had to keep his power under wraps, even in the town to avoid hurting the civilians. It was starting to build up and become irritating, which could spell trouble.

They didn't need it to randomly snow, after all.

He got an idea and searched for the Keybearer. The weapon fed off his energy, so maybe he could use it to relieve him of the pressure. And Sora would be able to fight using that instead, reducing the number of hearts given to Organization XIII and whatever scheme they were planning.

"Hey, I see land!" The very boy he was looking for was near the front, shouting and pointing out the island they were fast approaching. So Jack's strange compass did work.

Along with Donald and Goofy, Toshiro walked over to stand next to Sora and observe where they were headed. The island definitely fit its name, dark and mysterious, and there was no telling what was under the water.

"Sora."

The Keybearer turned to see Toshiro had his hand held out. He beamed and summoned his Keyblade; it had been awhile since he was able to use Frozen Heavens. Perhaps after that he'd try out the one he'd gotten from Disney Castle's past.

They missed Jack's gaze latching onto the weapon in curiosity, wondering how to obtain it. He was even more fascinated when the blade shifted form to look like an ice dragon or even the great Leviathan of the sea. Either way it was impressive and he wanted it. He'd have to be careful, though. The white haired Captain was always watching, even now.

"Watch yourself, Sparrow looks interested in your blade." Toshiro said quietly.

"No worries, he can't get it." Sora snickered. "If someone tries to steal it, it goes right back to me."

"The Keyblade chose him, so it won't go to anyone else." Goofy added on, nodding.

"Then I guess I have no need to worry." Toshiro turned back to the island, feeling a little less pressured but knowing he needed to release it somehow and soon. The Keyblade couldn't take too much or it would affect Sora, he'd noticed that when they were opening the pathway given by the Cornerstone. At the moment Sora probably had forty minutes, plenty of time.

The ship slowed as it reached the island before pulling up next to a long rocky trail. The Black Pearl had anchored near another trail closer to the entrance, leaving them with the longer one around the steep walls and fell into the rocky waters if they weren't careful.

Once the plank was lifted and everyone on land, Jack turned to Sora and the others.

"You lads stay here." He told them. "Young Turner and I will rescue the lady."

"I'm coming whether you like it or not." Toshiro snapped.

"What about us?" Sora frowned, upset with the arrangements.

"You're to guard the ship, o' course. It's a job for only the bravest pirates."

"Don't pull that crap with me." The Reaper scowled. "I'm going. In case you haven't noticed your weapons can't affect the Heartless."

"Yeah!" Sora agreed.

"There won't be any Heartless, lads, just pirates." Jack argued. "Undead ones, at that, in the dark where you can't hurt them. We just need to grab the young lass and leave, not start a war."

"I can kill them."

Sparrow turned to Hitsugaya with interest.

"My blade undoes their curse." Toshiro told him, not going into detail about why. "I can kill them, moonlight or not."

There was a tense silence, teal eyes staring down brown. Jack vaguely wondered if this boy was some sort of agent of Davy Jones, come to reclaim the souls of the cursed that should have been his. He wasn't dressed for it, though, he would know, and he doubted Davy Jones elected children into his crew.

"Very well." Jack gave in as that cold stare never left him. "Shall we?"

Now with the small Captain in tow, William and Jack ran along the trail towards the cave.

"If they don't come back we'll know something's wrong." Sora sighed, turning and stepping back onto the boat.

"Not fair." Donald huffed, following.

Goofy just watched the three figures leave for a moment before also stepping onto the ship, the trio assigned to wait until they were needed.

"And here I thought I could use Frozen Heavens." The Keybearer grumbled.

* * *

**Sora finally gets to learn about the scar here, though he probably wishes he hadn't, and some hope that he can get stronger like Ichigo. XD Enjoy!**


	52. Port Royal: Breaking the Curse

Toshiro kept a close eye on his two traveling companions, Jack especially. Compared to other pirates the man was rather compliant and seemed to definitely want to avoid death. There had to be some story behind that, as most pirates tended to not care. Jack was an out of the ordinary kind of pirate.

There was surprisingly no resistance as the three of them arrived near a large inner cave where the undead pirates were gathered around, gold littering the ground and shallow pools inside. There was a hill in the center where a large chest stood, hundreds of golden pieces inside, small coins with a skull on them. A woman was forced to stand next to said chest, looking terrified but angry, dress ruined from hours on a pirate ship of the dead, long brown hair matted in places. She was worse for wear that was for sure.

Barbossa stood next to her, his hand clenched around something, no doubt the medallion. They saw all this through an opening in the rock, leaving them invisible in the shadows. In the cave there were sparse patches of moonlight, showing off some of the pirates' curse. They cheered joyously at the thought of finally removing their curse. Once they were human, Toshiro couldn't kill them. Well, he wasn't SUPPOSED to, anyway, as it went against his job.

"Every last piece that went astray we have returned, save for this!" Barbossa held up the medallion on its silver chain. "And now, the blood will be repaid to free us from this curse forever!"

With that he turned to the woman, who he supposed was Elizabeth Swann, and Toshiro knew immediately she was about to either be killed or at least heavily wounded, something to make the blood flow. He was on alert now; one move for a vital and Barbossa would be the next to feel Hyorinmaru running him through.

Apparently thinking the same thing, William moved away to dart inside and save her.

"No!" Jack called out in a loud whisper, stopping him. "Not yet. We wait for the opportune moment."

"When it's of greatest profit to you?" William spat.

They heard a sword drawn and turned towards their third companion, his long blade in hand.

"If they're about to kill her I'll step in." He said.

"There ya go, leave it to the lad." Jack went along with it.

"That's Captain Hitsugaya to you; we're no longer on the ship."

"You're a stubborn one."

An icy glare was shot at him and the pirate shivered before attention was turned back to the events inside.

Inside, Barbossa snatched Elizabeth's hand and cut across it with a blade. Nothing fatal, though William was practically about to explode with how badly he wanted to save her. Toshiro was observant, though, and saw no danger to the girl unless he darted inside to start a fight, so he stayed put.

The medallion was placed atop the cut where it was bathed in the blood before dropping into the chest with the hundreds of look-a-likes inside it. Once done, Barbossa closed his eyes and waited for some kind of change within him, arms out to embrace being humans once more. Toshiro sensed no change, though his curiosity was drawn to the treasure. The Hollow-like feeling trapped in the pirates seemed to originate from the gold. Could he perhaps break it, then? If he used Hyorinmaru he could possibly rid everyone of the curse in one strike, ridding them of the need to sacrifice the girl.

Soon Barbossa realized there was no change and looked puzzled, then annoyed. He turned sharply back to Swann and latched onto her arm.

"You! Maid! Your father! Was your father William Turner!?"

Toshiro spared a glance at William, who had paled, before darting away from them with Flash Step.

"No." Elizabeth replied with defiance.

Snarling, Barbossa tossed her aside, managing to drop the medallion out of the chest as she went, the golden coin falling beside her.

"It seems your subordinates lack any form of common sense." A cold voice alerted them to a new presence, the white haired boy from the harbor standing on the edge of the stone chest, blade at the pirate Captain's throat before Barbossa could even register his presence. "When their life is threatened, people will do anything, even call themselves something they're not."

"Are ye trying to threaten me, then?" Barbossa growled.

"I can break the curse." He spoke in a louder tone. A hush fell over the pirates that had been attempting to inch closer, hands on their blades. "But I won't do so unless you promise me something."

He could see Barbossa ponder the thought for a moment, wondering if there truly was another way.

"Are you, perhaps, son of William Turner?"

"I'm not. After all, I'm dead."

Elizabeth looked at the boy curiously before someone grabbed onto her hand. She jumped before spotting William. He nodded to her silently and together they quickly left, not before the woman grabbed onto the medallion that had fallen beside her.

"What are ye proposing, lad?" Barbossa ventured, his attention focused on the white haired Reaper and ignoring the fact that a piece was now missing.

"I break the curse and you never kill anyone that isn't trying to kill you first."

"And here I thought ye was going to say never kill again." Barbossa chuckled.

"I'm not so naïve as to think that. You're pirates, after all, killing is just your nature. But if possible, only kill those who are trying to kill you. Otherwise it's a trip to the Underworld for all of you, just like the ones back at the town. You saw for yourself what happens when I cut one of you with my blade."

The man scowled as he remembered.

"Alright then. Go ahead and break the curse."

Toshiro raised an eyebrow.

"Ye could be cheatin' us, after all."

"And you could be cheating me."

Barbossa scowled again, avoiding eye contact just enough to notice there was a lack of a woman in the cave. He bristled with anger, forgetting momentarily that the sword aimed at his throat could actually kill him, curse or not. He looked at the chest, noticing with even more fury that the one piece attached to a chain and stained red with blood was also gone.

"Ye lie!" The pirate Captain snarled, hand on his blade in seconds. But that was all it took for Toshiro to move out of range, blade held above him. "Buying time for your lackeys to get away with our medallion!"

"They moved on their own, I had no part in it." Toshiro argued. "Plus I'm still here."

"Get him, you idiots!" Barbossa snapped at his men.

The pirates inched their way closer, big and threatening with blades in their hands, some with guns or crossbows. While those would be easy to avoid he'd rather not risk a bullet going through his head or heart. He lifted his blade up, eyes locked onto the chest and not the pirates.

"Reign over the Frosted Heavens," the pirates felt cold, which was odd as they couldn't feel anything as undead, "Hyorinmaru!"

The water in the pools shot upward and froze into spikes of ice, spearing a few unlucky pirates. The Underworld quickly claimed them and those left realized they were clearly outmatched. Not to mention there was a giant dragon of ice-water hovering above their small opponent, jaws wide with an icy roar.

"What the devil are ye?" Barbossa's voice shook a little, eyes fixated on the dragon.

"A Soul Reaper." Toshiro replied. "Undead or not, your soul is still trapped in your body, and it is that I can cut through to." He swiped his blade forward and the dragon shot towards them.

Panicking, Barbossa moved away from the hill to hopefully escape. He became confused as the dragon instead smashed into the treasure chest. The gold coins inside lit up with an icy white light before turning golden. The gold energy shattered apart.

Running back towards the boat, Elizabeth paused and yelped, dropping the medallion as it glowed white hot. It had the same effect as the rest of its kind before becoming dull once more.

"I've done my part." Toshiro said, sealing his blade and returning it to his back. "Yours?"

The pirates looked themselves over, touching arms and torsos to see if they truly could feel warm flesh again. When they could they laughed joyously and cheered, clapping each other on the back and laughing as they could feel the stinging bite of the rough hit, the first time in months. Barbossa was ecstatic himself, though he didn't show it as much. He was more amazed that the curse had truly been broken, and by a boy no less.

"We owe ye a great debt." Barbossa said to the waiting Reaper. "Your proposal will be met, lad. Count on it."

Satisfied, and not wanting to hang out with pirates longer than he had to, he vanished from their sight with Flash Step and quickly headed back to the boat.

'_**Easy enough.**_' Hyorinmaru hummed. '_**How long do you suppose they'll keep their word?**_'

'_Only long enough to get greedy again. We'll be gone by then, it's not my problem, I'm just buying time._'

Taking a quick head count he was glad to see everyone was on board, though one particular man looked far too interested in him when he arrived for his liking. Jack must have seen the release of his zanpaktou before he'd high tailed it back to the ship.

"Hitsugaya." William greeted, though a little cautiously. "Was it true what you said? Did you break the curse?"

"I did." Toshiro nodded. "And if there's any merit behind the promise of a pirate he won't be bothering us again."

"Ah, but my business isn't finished, mate." Jack swayed his way over to the plank and back onto land. "The Black Pearl is mine and I'm getting her back."

"You're alive, I would think that would be enough."

"Yeah, Captain Sparrow." Sora added. "We should head back before those pirates decide to come after us anyway."

"Nay, I'm getting back my ship." The man paused and turned slightly back. "Could I, per chance, borrow that lovely blade of yours, Captain Hitsugaya?"

"No." Toshiro responded immediately.

"Thought not." Shrugging, Jack continued on.

They watched him walk away, knowing he was a fool to go in there alone, even if the pirates were now all human again. Why must pirates be so stubborn? Perhaps he was wrong earlier about Jack wanting to avoid death, what he wanted was his ship, and just like any other pirate he'd do anything to get her back.

"Why would he want your blade?" William asked the only Captain left.

"It's different from ones you'd normally see." Toshiro reached back and unsheathed Hyorinmaru. "Though it's not as flashy as Sora's, my blade, called a zanpaktou, has special abilities."

He tapped the end to the ground where ice spread thinly across the wood, William and Elizabeth watching in awe as it did so before breaking apart and vanishing into the air, which was also much colder than before and not because of the ocean breeze.

"However, it only works for me."

"May I?" William asked, holding his hand out for the blade.

There was a very noticeable tension created by that question, Toshiro gripping tighter to Hyorinmaru and glaring at the man wearily. While William looked somewhat confused, Sora understood that Toshiro wasn't really willing to let someone else attempt to use something that was a part of his soul. After a moment of internal debate, the ice dragon seeing no problem with letting him TRY, he handed the blade over, looking very uncomfortable with giving the sword to a stranger. He wasn't concerned about the man breaking it, it was impossible for a human to do that, and he could always catch him if he ran for it, but handing over to a stranger something he'd fought with most of his life and which had saved his life more than once, not to mention was a constant companion, felt wrong.

Being very careful, William did a few swings to try out the blade. It was different from the sword he'd been taught to use, that was for sure, but it had a good reach. He would think that would be an imbalance for someone so small, yet Toshiro was clearly an expert with this blade. Plus, it had ice powers, which William could not use as was obviously seen.

Once that was over Toshiro quickly took his zanpaktou back and sheathed it once more, the humans noticing how the sheath conformed around the blade, disappearing altogether when it was being drawn. It was a good trick considering his reach wasn't long enough to draw it from his back like that completely. Why would he get such a long blade, anyway? Was he expecting to grow taller and compensating for it? Sora had never bothered to ask, partly because he knew. The sword matched the wielder.

"We should get going." Toshiro told them. "Whatever happens Jack will find his own way of leaving. On the off chance he gets the Pearl back I'm sure he'll find us."

"Shouldn't we help him?" Sora questioned.

"It's a fight between pirates, I see no need."

The Keybearer pouted but, as usual, Toshiro stood firm and refused to give in. Jack's problems were his own, and now that the others were human once more he was SUPPOSED to remain out of it.

And so they set sail, leaving the Black Pearl and the island behind and heading back to the town, called Port Royal, just like the name of the world. It was then the Reaper realized he'd forgotten something, cursing himself for doing so and causing confusion for Goofy who was nearby. Ignoring him, Toshiro went to the back of the boat and scowled as he realized the island was already out of sight.

Jack had their key to opening the paths.

* * *

**Posting at school, can't talk now. T^T Enjoy!**


	53. Port Royal: Battle of the Seas

It was Sora who spotted the ship.

"Hey!" He called out to the others. "It's the Black Pearl!"

"Gawrsh, did Jack get her back?" Goofy asked as he and Donald came to the Keybearer's side.

"He's on it, but not as Captain." Toshiro said with a scowl, standing on the edge of the ship and looking out towards the boat. "There's too many Heartless on board for that to be true."

"And Barbossa?" William asked.

The Reaper took a moment to search for the now human pirates, making it look as though he was using sight and not Spiritual Pressure.

"Not there. Just Pete." He returned to the floor of the ship, to Elizabeth's relief, and moved towards the wheel where Will was. "Sparrow is probably a ransom."

"Why him?" Elizabeth frowned.

"Pete probably thinks we're friends with him. While I don't like him I can't let the Heartless kill him, so save him we will."

Nodding, William kept the ship steady as the black and tattered ship approached them. The Black Pearl slowly crept towards them as time went on, nothing else but ocean in sight. Soon they could see the dark creatures flitting about the deck, some able to fly with large purple wings. Though these could easily glide over and attack, they didn't. Once the ship was nearly side by side with them, they spotted Pete, Sparrow in ropes in his grasp.

"You seem desperate, Pete." Toshiro called him out.

"Shut up, Reaper!" Pete growled. "Your little trick took away potential Heartless! I'll get you for that!"

"You have yet to win a fight against me." The Ice Captain drew his blade. "And this time I have my sword."

The obese cat paled but still managed to growl. He lifted Jack off the ground, startling the man.

"Go ahead! You'll lose your pirate friend, too!"

"We'll stop you AND get Jack back!" Sora snapped, holding his Keyblade at the ready. Donald and Goofy stood firm beside him.

"When did I become the damsel in distress?" Jack frowned, very unhappy.

Ignoring him, Toshiro looked down to the water below.

"Captain Sparrow, how much do you want that ship?" He looked back up.

"Don't even think about it." Jack grumbled back, knowing what the boy intended to do. "Might as well kill me now, mate."

"Alright, the hard way it is."

His image vanished, Pete looking around quickly for where he could have gone. Distracted, he failed to notice Sora, Donald and Goofy jump ships and attack the Heartless until he heard the first hit.

"Gah!" He dropped Jack, the man landing with a heavy thud and a pained grunt, and turned to the Keybearer. "Heartless, attack! Get 'em a-oof!"

Pete found himself flying forward before landing heavily on the Interceptor.

"Nice kick, mate." Jack complimented, shaking off the ropes he'd cut with his dagger and looking at the white haired Reaper.

"Hopefully you're not as attached to the Interceptor." Toshiro replied, striking down an approaching Heartless.

"Not at all."

Problem was, William and Elizabeth were still on the ship, Pete beginning to realize this and grinning evilly. Those on the Black Pearl were taking out the Heartless, though Sora nearly had them all defeated, a few gliding over to the other ship where their master was. The humans needed to be removed first before the ship could be retired to the ocean floor.

Toshiro quickly darted back onto the ship and latched onto Elizabeth, knowing Will would want her to safety first. She screamed in surprise as she was suddenly rushed to the opposite ship to be guarded by Goofy, the dog keeping his shield up.

"You okay?" He questioned the girl. "Captain Hitsugaya can be kinda quick."

"I'm fine, it just startled me." She said, taking deep breaths and pushing her hair out of her face.

Satisfied, Toshiro turned around to get Will.

"Haha!" Pete cheered victoriously, two of the flying Heartless holding tightly to William's arms so that he couldn't get away.

"Will!" Elizabeth cried out.

"Let him go, Pete!" Sora snapped, darting over to the edge with his Keyblade held out. Donald zapped the last of the Heartless on the Black Pearl and Jack rushed up to the wheel to keep her steady.

"Aw, how sad." Pete mocked. "The widdle kiddies want their fwiend back. Haha!"

The air suddenly got very cold and the water turned harsh, lapping up the sides of the ships. The already dark skies became darker with storm clouds. In a place where water was plentiful, Toshiro's Spiritual Pressure could cause quite a havoc. The Interceptor lurched, no one aboard to keep it steady, and Pete fell over with a thud.

"Pete's in for it now." Sora smirked, backing away from the side of the ship and grabbing hold of something to keep steady.

Donald shivered and did the same, looking to Toshiro with a fearful glance. The Reaper was definitely furious. If Pete didn't know not to mock him like that before he sure did now.

"Reign over the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru!" The ice dragon created slammed into the side of the ship, shards shooting off the Heartless latched onto William. Frightened, the man didn't know if he should head to the safer ship or get as far away from the boy with white light wafting off of him as possible.

His question was answered as Toshiro suddenly grabbed onto him and threw him onto the Black Pearl with surprising force. Once he had the human safely on the other ship, Toshiro proceeded to launch the water up from below the Interceptor into a pillar of ice shards. Pete managed to escape getting skewered only to fall into the freezing water. A serpentine ice dragon rose from the water, jaws open wide to snap up the cat like the Leviathan from myth. He paddled as fast as he could to escape, summoning a large Heartless to protect him.

Teal eyes spotted movement in the water and he shifted the direction of the dragon. Pete wasn't a problem anymore. Their new enemy was. A dark fin peeked above the water, racing just as fast towards the dragon as the dragon raced towards it.

"That's a big Heartless." Sora frowned, gripping tighter to the Keyblade.

Toshiro appeared next to him and grabbed onto the blade, it having run out of energy for its Frozen Heaven form some time ago.

"Let's wait to see what it can do before we rush in headfirst." The Ice Captain warned the boy, Donald and Goofy nearby.

"But what if the boat gets hit?" Goofy asked and Donald nodded to show he had the same question.

"It won't."

Though the animals shared a glance, Sora seemed to trust him and leapt out of the ship, landing on the frozen waters below. The Black Pearl was free of the ice and so started heading away, but Jack kept it at a slow turn so as not to abandon them. Toshiro was standing with the Keybearer.

The ice dragon dove down atop the approaching Heartless, shooting up into great spikes of ice both above and below. The water stopped moving.

"Did you get it?" Sora tilted his head, looking for any sign of movement.

"Don't count on it." Toshiro growled.

As if on cue, a huge shape crashed through the ice and into the air with a deafening roar. It had a fish-like shape but with large fins that extended into bladed fingers and had an elbow to bend at, spines down its back and huge teeth. The Heartless symbol was on its belly. It glared at them with golden eyes before crashing through more ice and back into the water.

"We have to find a way to get it back up." Toshiro said, moving to the edge of the ice floe he'd created and hunting down the creature's Spiritual Pressure to track it. "It will take too much energy to freeze the ocean."

"Let's get it to jump again." Sora said. "Maybe if we both throw an ice dragon at it we can freeze it in the air."

"Only for it to drop like a stone to the bottom. If we get it to jump I can probably freeze a thick enough layer underneath it that it can't dive through. We'll have to be quick."

"Got it."

They weren't sure how to make it jump again and so just waited, Toshiro following its movements closely. It moved underneath the ice floe before suddenly shooting upwards.

'_It's trying to shoot up into us._' Toshiro growled.

He spun around and latched onto Sora, moving away just in time to avoid being blasted upward by shattering ice and a large blue Heartless.

"Sorry." He said quickly to Sora before throwing him upwards.

Flipping himself around, Sora threw his Keyblade like a boomerang at the whale. Meanwhile, Toshiro stuck his blade into the water and quickly froze it over into a large circle, thickening it as fast as he could. The Heartless above him twisted around to try and dive into the water but found his path blocked by Sora, his clothing bright blue and magic flowing around his feet to let him glide on air. A new Drive form, what Queen Minnie had gifted to Sora at Disney Castle. Utilizing this magic based form, Sora shot out several bolts of magic energy which, with his current Keyblade, turned icy and sharp.

These bolts dug deep into the thick blubber shield of the Heartless and pushed it back into a collision course with the new ice floe. Gravity brought it slamming down atop the white ice and knocked it senseless for a brief moment, the ice cracking but holding fast.

"Sora!" Toshiro appeared next to the Keybearer and stood using a platform of Spirit Energy. "Use the technique I taught you. It might break through the skin."

"Okay!"

Sensing danger, the Heartless attempted to flip over, scratching at the ice with its bladed fingers.

"_Way of Binding Number Nine, Strike!_"

A red glow enveloped the creature and prevented it from moving. The darkness immediately attempted to break the bind but Sora was already diving downwards, Frozen Heavens aimed for the chest.

"_Dragon Hail Flower!_" Sora called out, a white ice dragon curling around him and his Keyblade gaining that blade like aura as it stabbed into the flesh of the creature, ice exploding outwards.

His Drive Form reverted, Donald suddenly appearing on the ice as it used his powers to work, and Sora felt drained, though not as badly as last time. The Heartless gave a roar and, though it was wounded, escaped them and back into the water, turning it black with shadowy blood.

"Not done yet." Toshiro scowled, grabbing the duck around the middle and taking him back to the ship. Donald reluctantly agreed there wasn't much he could do in this water fight, as did Goofy.

Once the Reaper returned they once more waited for the beast to rise.

"I don't think I can do that attack again." Sora said, panting a little.

"Don't exhaust yourself. You don't have much time left with Frozen Heavens, try to stun it with a dragon and I'll finish it off. This thing has thicker skin than I thought."

"Sir!"

Now furious, the Heartless rose a good ways away and charged towards them quickly, refusing to jump up and risk exposing its weakened belly.

"Gotcha!" Sora sliced downward through the air, the end slamming into the water where ice spread outward.

A white dragon launched forward, jaws open wide as it charged at the Heartless. Golden eyes flashing dangerously, the whale lifted upwards and roared, leaping just enough out of the water to slam headfirst into the ice dragon and crush it. Ice caked over its skin in rough patches of spikes, slowing down its charge as it tried to speed through the water.

Toshiro tossed forward the chain-blade, snaring it around the dorsal fin with the blade digging into its back. That done, he leaped into the air and pulled hard on the chain, forcing it out of the water and sliding onto the ice floe, the Keybearer having moved off to the side to avoid getting hit. It thrashed about on the ice. With a grunt of effort, Sora stabbed his Keyblade into the ground and ice spiked up around the Heartless, trapping it.

'_That's new…_' Toshiro thought on it no more and Flash Stepped back down, his blade digging deep into the already deep wound.

Hyorinmaru began to freeze the beast from the inside out. It shuddered beneath him as the life left it, coming to a stop as the blue ice covered it entirely. For the briefest moment, all that could be heard was the waves sloshing around them and against the approaching ship. A crack echoed in the silence, then another. Toshiro removed the chain-blade, sealing his zanpaktou and sheathing it, and leaped off the Heartless just as it shattered into shards of ice and blue spirit particles.

"Yeah! We did it!" Sora cheered.

"You're getting better." Toshiro said, looking amused.

"You bet I am!" He punched the Reaper playfully on the arm.

Sora froze then, wondering if Toshiro would yell at him for that, or possibly hit him. Plus, he'd hit the arm where the scar was. Though there was some annoyance, the Ice Captain simply raised an eyebrow and shook his head, disappointed. An improvement. And no pain. That was good.

"Hey, did you find the key item yet?" Sora changed the subject.

"Actually, yes." Toshiro turned to the ship coming close to them. "But I can't tell you."

"Eh?! No fair…"

"Remember, the Keyblade has to do it. I could be wrong."

"You're never wrong."

"You'd be surprised."

Once the ship was close enough, Toshiro grabbed the back of Sora's shirt and returned them both to the deck.

"An impressive display, mate." Jack called out. "One would think you're not human."

"That truly was amazing, you two." Elizabeth walked over to them, looking past the glare Toshiro sent at the pirate.

"No problem." Sora beamed, hands behind his head. Toshiro rolled his eyes.

"Did you get hurt, Sora?" Goody questioned.

"Nope, we're fine. Maybe a few scratches from the ice but nothing terrible."

Their conversation was cut short as they heard a bell-like sound, turning towards Jack as the Captain gasped in surprise.

"What the…?" The pirate looked at his compass questioningly as it gave off a light glow.

"There's your cue." Toshiro rested against the ship's side; apparently this wasn't what they needed to unlock the way to Soul Society.

Shrugging, Sora summoned his Keyblade and held it forward as the compass rose upward with a subtle light that grew stronger. He easily unlocked the new pathway and the compass returned to Jack's hands, the pirate now examining the item VERY closely to see why it would have done that.

"Well, guess we better get going." Donald sighed.

"So soon?" William asked.

"Yeah, we've got more of those creatures to fight." Sora replied. "Maybe we'll come back another time."

"At least you won't have to worry about pirates anymore." Goofy added.

"Oi, don't be so sure of that." Jack frowned.

"Right, watch out for him, he likes to get captured a lot." Toshiro deadpanned.

The others laughed except Jack.

Saying their goodbyes, the four returned to the Gummi ship to head onwards to the next world. There were two more now as Donald pulled up the map. A desert city atop a giant lamp and a rather haunted looking town. Nobody had a preference, though Toshiro was wary about the desert one, and so Sora picked a random one. They ended up going to the one called Agrabah, the desert city.

"Donald, do you have a spell to keep someone cool?" Toshiro asked said duck.

"Yeah." Donald looked at him curiously.

"You might need to cast it on me two or three times. I'm not going to do well here."

"Oh yeah, deserts don't have any water." Sora frowned.

"And the heat, too." Goofy added.

"I never did well in heat." Toshiro scowled. "And I probably shouldn't use my zanpaktou; I'll end up taking away what little water they have."

"Right, we'll take care of things." Sora said with determination, steering towards their new destination.

Toshiro leaned back in his chair, hoping to whatever gods would listen that this desert wouldn't be too harsh on him.

* * *

**Meant to post last night but the internet wouldn't connect, something with the router. But here it is! Time for some desert fun! or torture...however you like to think of it ^^ Enjoy!**


	54. Agrabah: The Ice Starts to Melt

He was wrong; the desert was more than harsh on him. He was sure it would be the death of him.

The minute they had teleported down to the sand covered world, Toshiro had collapsed from the force of the heat. Panicking, Sora rushed to help him stand while Donald cast the cooling spell several times. It helped, but it was just too hot and their icy friend could hardly stand it.

'_**This is too dangerous, go back to the ship.**_' Hyorinmaru growled.

'_I can't…_' Toshiro argued, barely registering Sora telling his animal friends to find somewhere shady and cool, which would be impossible here. '_What if one of the key items is here?_'

'_**You won't have any energy to charge it. You hardly have enough to remain standing.**_'

There was a noticeable difference in temperature and Toshiro opened his eyes. They had moved into a well shaded spot of the city, boxes piled high to the side for even more shade.

"Sorry." Toshiro managed to say, breath coming short due to the heat.

"Hey, don't apologize." Sora shook his head. "I'll go find Aladdin. He lives here somewhere and he's got this friend who can do all kinds of things, maybe he can help you out."

"You mean Genie?" Donald turned to the Keybearer.

"Yeah. Genie can probably help him out."

"Genies are spirits." Toshiro said. "He'll probably recognize what I am, and most aren't too inclined to help Soul Reapers."

"But maybe if Al can convince him he will."

"Don't worry, Captain. We'll think of something." Goofy promised with a salute.

"Thank you…"

"I'll stay with you to keep you cool." Donald said, sitting down beside him with his staff out, casting a blizzard spell at the ground. Toshiro put his arm against the ice and let out a content sigh at the refreshing coolness.

With one last reassuring smile, Sora turned around and started heading off with Goofy to find their friend Aladdin. Toshiro really hoped they found him. Even in the shade with Donald's magic he knew his temperature was far too high, and Hyorinmaru was feeling rather watery. Things could get dangerous quickly.

"Man, the Captain's got it rough." Sora heaved a sigh, searching through the streets to try and spot Aladdin. "Maybe we should have gone to the other world."

"Gawrsh, maybe we should have let him stay on the Gummi Ship." Goofy frowned in concern.

"He wouldn't stay; he wants to find the way home. I don't blame him, though." Sora started walking ahead of Goofy as the dog spotted something. "If we can find Genie we can help him no problem."

"Uh-oh, it's um." Sora paused as Goofy went on. "Uh…Iago!"

Now alert, Sora whipped around with Keyblade in hand, spotting the red and blue macaw hovering around Goofy's head.

"Wait!" Iago spluttered. "You got me all wrong! It's not the old me! I've turned over a new leaf! I'm legit! No more scams, promise!"

"Bet that's you're new scam." Sora snorted.

"Ya gotta believe me." The bird whined, alighting on a nearby stairway. "I was stuck inside that lamp with Jafar, remember? I finally escaped and then some things happened and, uh…"

"Free as a bird, huh?" Sora looked disbelieving.

"Gawrsh, he looks pretty sad." Goofy pointed out.

Catching onto this kindness, Iago fluttered over.

"I wanna apologize to Aladdin and Jasmine." He begged, landing in Goofy's waiting paws. "Could you guys maybe put in a good word for me?"

"Sure!" Goofy turned to Sora. "We can do that, can't we?"

"But we've got to find Aladdin, first!" Sora argued. "Remember? Toshiro's getting sick; we need Genie to help him."

"Oh! I'll help you find him!" Iago lifted off. "Who's this Toshiro person, anyway?"

"None of your business." Sora huffed. "If you help us find Aladdin then I'll tell you."

"Okay! He might be at the palace with Jasmine!" Iago paused, spotting something. "Watch out!"

Turning quickly, Sora and Goofy found themselves surrounded by thief-like Heartless with black and red scimitars.

"Not right now." Sora groaned. They didn't have long before the heat really did some damage to their Soul Reaper friend.

Further away, said Reaper sensed the Heartless and grimaced, attempting to sit up.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Donald grumbled, snapping up and pushing Toshiro back up against the wall. "You can't walk like that."

"There's Heartless." Toshiro argued, pushing the white wing aside. He noticed with some worry that it was easy for Donald to push back.

"You're not fighting in this condition." The duck huffed. "I'll go help, you stay here."

Casting one last higher level blizzard spell to try and keep him cool, Donald ran off at a sprint to help his comrades. This ice crystal formed into a smooth sided pillar so Toshiro was able to lean up against it. He wasn't sure how long it would last.

He closed his eyes and went to his Inner World, hoping the heat wasn't melting it too much as tended to happen during heat spells back home. This way he could reserve energy and hopefully not dehydrate too quickly.

In the city, Sora and the others, Donald now included as he arrived and helped them take out the Heartless, moved with haste towards the palace and went inside to meet Jasmine, the dark skinned, black haired princess of the desert city and a Princess of Heart, her light blue outfit only lightly coated with sand. She greeted them kindly but noticed they were on edge.

"Have you seen Aladdin?" Sora asked quickly. Iago could wait, the bird hiding behind Goofy, they needed help for Toshiro.

"No…he's been acting strange lately." Jasmine sighed.

"Heartless?" Donald scowled, holding up his staff.

"No, nothing like that. He's usually the same cheery Aladdin but…sometimes he just seems sad." She looked curiously at them. "What's wrong, everyone?"

"Well, we have this friend and he does really, and I mean REALLY bad in the heat." Sora explained.

"We've got him in the shade but we're worried about him." Donald continued. "My ice spells don't last long enough to keep him cool."

"Oh dear. You should bring him to the palace immediately." Jasmine hurried them off. "And try to find Aladdin if you can. He can help."

"We were hoping to find Genie." Goofy said. "He might be able to do something for him."

"Let's hope you find him." Jasmine nodded. "I'll have the palace servants fetch some water. Hurry, now!"

Nodding, they left, Iago still hidden away.

"Hey, maybe if I help bring him to the palace Princess Jasmine will forgive me." The bird said, hovering above them.

"Iago, if you really want us to trust you, find Aladdin." Sora demanded. "Mind going with him, Goody? That way Aladdin will believe him."

"Gotcha!" The dog broke off from their group and went with the bird to check the city for their missing friend.

Donald and Sora ran quickly back to where they'd left Toshiro. They were quite alarmed when they found him passed out on the dirt ground, the ice melted and his breath ragged. It was midday and even this amount of shade was doing him little good.

"Uh-oh!" Donald quacked. "We better hurry!"

"Jeez did we pick the wrong world to go to." Sora picked up the tiny Captain with little difficulty and they started heading back towards the palace, Donald holding onto the dropped zanpaktou. What a way to reunite with old friends, having their new friend on death's door.

In some other part of the city, Goofy and Iago saw a small peddler running after a familiar figure, a black haired man in a purple open top and poufy white pants, running barefoot after a small brown monkey.

"There's Aladdin!" Iago called out.

"Yup! Come on!"

They followed the line to a dead end wall, Aladdin looking a little lost with his monkey friend Abu chattering madly, holding tightly to a black lamp.

"If you can't control that fur ball, keep him on a leash!" The peddler spat, frustrated.

Sighing, Aladdin turned back to him.

"Look, I'm sorry." He promised. Now frustrated himself, he turned to Abu and knelt down. "Abu, you should be ashamed of yourself.

The monkey snapped something back, unwilling to give up his prize. With a stern glare, Aladdin got Abu to give up the lamp, albeit reluctantly and with an indignant screech. Heaving another sigh, Aladdin handed it back to the peddler, who walked off with a huff, lamp in hand.

Goofy approached the pair then, catching their attention.

"Hey, Goofy!" Aladdin greeted cheerfully. "Where the rest of the gang?"

"Helping out a friend." Goofy replied. "He's not feeling good."

"Oh?" Aladdin looked interested. "Who's this friend?"

"He's a Captain from a faraway place, but he's not used to the heat. It's making him sick."

"Poor guy."

"Is Genie here?"

Aladdin shook his head sadly.

"He and Carpet went out to see the world. That's why I come out here; the action and the people, there's always something going on. Sorry I can't help your friend."

"Sora and Donald are bringin' him to the palace now."

"Guess you better go meet up with them. I'll go with you."

They started heading out to the streets when they spotted Iago shivering on the ground, looking at the direction the peddler had gone.

"Iago!?" Aladdin shouted in alarm.

"Oh yeah, he wanted to apologize." Goofy quickly explained. "Gawrsh, he's so sorry he's shakin'."

"Th-the-that lamp!" The macaw shot up and over to them. "It's THE lamp!"

"There are a million more just like it." Aladdin frowned, confused.

"Hey, I was stuck in that thing FOR MONTHS! There's no way I'd mistake it! That's Jafar's lamp."

Now the ex-thief frowned in concern, knowing what that could mean. The last thing they needed was the evil man-turned-Genie on the loose.

"Sorry Goofy, I'm gonna go talk to that peddler. Hope you're friend's okay."

Abu at his heels, Aladdin took off after the peddler, Iago landing on Goofy's shoulder and shivering. His evil master Jafar had been so close, scaring him right down to the bone. He hoped to never see that black lamp again.

"Gawrsh, everything's gettin' kinda crazy around here." Goofy mused aloud as he made his way to the palace.

Crazy was only the beginning of this madness.

* * *

**Short chapter, my bad. Just them running around trying to prevent Toshiro from dying of heat while still going through the storyline. I rushed this chapter T^T Hope it's still good! Enjoy!**


	55. Agrabah: Cave of Wonders

Teal eyes slowly opened to realize he'd been moved. The air still felt warm but it was an improvement to the dry heat outside, for he could tell he was inside now, and there was a cool wet cloth on his forehead.

"Hey, you're awake!"

Toshiro looked to see Sora sitting nearby where he was laying with a relieved expression, Donald with him as well as a pretty lady he didn't recognize. The room around them was large, clearly not one of the dusty houses he'd seen before. Judging by how the woman was dressed in rather rich looking fabric he guessed this was possibly the palace he'd caught a glimpse of upon their arrival. So they were friends with a princess here too, interesting. How many did that make now?

"Are you alright?" The princess asked him in a gentle tone, taking the cloth. She had a similar Spiritual Pressure as Belle, so he assumed she was maybe another Princess of Heart.

"I've been better." Toshiro answered, sitting up with more effort than he should have needed. "This place doesn't suit me very well."

"Sora told me you come from a very cold country." She said.

Glancing at the Keybearer, the Soul Reaper decided to play along for now and just nodded, not saying anything.

"I'm sorry I can't help much, I can't change the weather." She sighed, putting more cold water on the cloth and handing it back to him. He took it gratefully and leaned back, placing it once more on his forehead. With the sun blocked from view and a soft breeze blowing past, it definitely felt cooler and was helping him to recover.

"Thanks Jasmine." Sora said to the woman. "We were worried he wouldn't make it."

"Of course." Jasmine smiled. "I'll be right back. Let one of the servants know if you need anything."

"Okay."

The desert princess walked off into the palace, leaving just the three of them.

"Where's Goofy?" Toshiro questioned upon noticing the missing dog.

"He went out with Iago to find Aladdin."

"Iago?" Toshiro looked further confused.

"Oh, right." Sora scratched his head. "There was this really bad sorcerer called Jafar, and Iago was his pet bird. Iago helped Jafar do some pretty nasty stuff but he was really a coward. When Jafar got himself turned into a Genie by forcing Aladdin's friend Genie to make him one, Iago got stuck in the lamp with him. Somehow he got out and now he wants to apologize to Aladdin and Jasmine. So he went with Goofy to help find him."

"I see. I'm assuming this bird can talk, then?"

"Yeah. But he's the only animal here that can."

"I've gotten used to talking animals by now."

Donald huffed indignantly.

"Anyway, if Goofy can find Aladdin we can probably get Genie to come by and help. Genie is free from the lamp now since Aladdin used his third wish to free him…so finding him is kinda hard."

"Most would think it unwise to free such a powerful spirit." Toshiro frowned.

"But Genie's really cool. He helps out a lot!" Sora argued.

"I believe you." Toshiro moved the cloth away, most of the water already absorbed to cool himself off, and made to stand.

"Whoa, easy." Sora stood and helped balance the Reaper as he stumbled. "It's a little early to go back outside, Captain."

"Damn this heat."

He reluctantly sat back down, running a hand through his hair. Thankfully he wasn't sweating; he couldn't lose too much water. By the looks of things he'd be staying in the palace for the duration of the mission. He didn't like this one bit.

He looked up as footsteps approached, the owner being none other than Goofy, a bird, no doubt Iago, looking a little spooked on his shoulder.

"Hey guys, we've got good news and bad news." Goofy reported.

"Good news first." Sora said.

"Okay. We found Aladdin."

"Really?" Donald quacked. "Was Genie with him?"

"That's the bad news. Genie's explorin' the world." Goofy frowned. "And something else, too. A peddler got Jafar's lamp."

"No way!" Sora was on his feet in seconds.

"Jafar as in that evil sorcerer you just told me about?" Toshiro asked the Keybearer.

"Of course! Where've you been!?" Iago snapped, fluttering over to hover in front of the Reaper.

Cold teal eyes shot a glare at him and the bird gulped.

"In case you haven't noticed I'm new here." Toshiro growled, flicking the bird away. "Considering your reaction I guess that means I'm right." He turned to Goofy. "Where's Aladdin now?"

"Went to get the lamp from the peddler." Goofy replied. "But he won't steal it."

"Then I suppose we wait."

He leaned back, hiding the fact that he wanted more than anything to just fall asleep , possibly with something cold over him. Perhaps Donald's Blizzard spell would last longer inside, that would be helpful. He could recover his Spirit Energy. Now if he could find a way to keep cold outside. Probably impossible without a genie.

"Hey kid, you don't look too good." Iago said landing on the bed next to the Reaper.

"Um, Iago." Sora attempted to warn.

Too late. His mood offset by the heat, Toshiro was quick to anger and scowled at the bird before once more flicking him away. In a flurry of feathers Iago stumbled several feet away and hit a wall, laying there for a moment in a daze.

"I'm not a kid." The Ice Captain growled. He put his head in his hands. "Ugh, I have a headache."

Sora and Goofy shared a glance before the former went over and picked up the semi-dazed bird. Hoping to help, Donald manipulated his ice spell to lightly coat the bed, which the Reaper was quick to lay down on. It helped a lot, Toshiro looking much more relaxed now.

"What did he have to go and do that for?" Iago grumbled once he could think straight.

"You called him a kid." Sora snickered. "He's actually a lot older than me."

"So he's just short?"

"I am not." Came an icy growl and Iago silenced, shivering.

They decided to remain silent then while Toshiro rested to allow his headache to go away. Donald made sure to keep the general area around the tiny Captain cold to help things along, for which Toshiro was grateful, very grateful.

Someone whistled to them and they looked around, confused. Frowning, Toshiro picked his head up and looked right at who had made the noise. What now?

"Oh, Aladdin!" Sora waved to the man once he'd spotted him.

Aladdin made a shushing motion before creeping over to them.

"I don't want Jasmine to know I'm here." He said in a low tone. He looked at the white haired boy lying upon a layer of frost. "Isn't that cold?"

"It's not cold enough." Was his grumbled reply.

"This is Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya." Sora introduced.

"Oh, the guy Goofy told me about." Aladdin scratched his head. "You do look a little out of it. Name's Aladdin."

A simple nod was all he got. It was clear the newcomer was too tired at the moment for words.

"Anyway, guys." Aladdin turned to make sure they were all listening. "We've got a little trouble. The peddler wants a pretty hefty price for that lamp; says he wants treasure."

"There's plenty here in the palace." Donald suggested.

"But it's not mine to take, and I can't just ask. I don't want to worry Jasmine or the sultan."

"I know!" Iago piped up. "What about the Cave of Wonders? There's plenty of treasure in there."

"We'll have to go across the desert for that, but it could work." Aladdin mused.

They heard a groan and turned to Toshiro, his back now to them. Right, the Ice Captain couldn't take the desert heat.

"You can stay here, Captain." Sora suggested.

"No, I'm going." Despite the comforting coolness of the frost layer, Toshiro sat up and turned to face them. "I just need to figure out how."

"Are you sure?" Sora's brows were furrowed in worry.

His answer was a cold glance that said 'I'm going whether you like it or not.' Grabbing his zanpaktou, Toshiro stood, the rest having helped him quite a bit. With Donald's cooling spells still active, he was more prepared to last against the harsh heat, and the sun was beginning to set, meaning it wouldn't be as hot as before.

"Okay, better get there quick." Aladdin nodded to them. "Lead the way Iago. Do this and I might believe your apology."

"Leave it to me!" Iago chirped happily, flying immediately out the doors.

The five of them followed after the bird quickly, heading through the streets. Heartless attempted to stall them, but even weakened by the heat Toshiro was not about to be defeated. Needless to say Aladdin was impressed by the boy's swordsmanship. Feeling challenged, he stepped up his game and attacked faster than ever, making sure to hit a little harder. Being a thief outright combat wasn't his strong suit, but having two kids show him up made him look bad.

They made it outside where they paused to rest, sheltered by a few trees. In the distance they could see an area covered by sinister looking darkness.

"The Cave of Wonders is over there." Aladdin pointed to the dark area.

"No heat." Sora grinned. "That's a plus."

"I have to get there first." Toshiro replied as he looked out at the large expanse of sand. He was currently leaned up against the wall in the shade.

"We'll run fast."

They agreed that was the only way to avoid Hitsugaya collapsing again and all took off at a sprint for the darkened area, Iago having to perch on Aladdin's shoulder both to rest and not fall behind. Thankfully they were all fit and made it into the cool shade, a major improvement to the hot desert, and only had to take a few minutes of rest. The most exhausted out of all of them was Toshiro, and only because of how much energy the heat had taken out of him.

"There it is." The macaw reported, flying once more and pointing out a giant feline head made of the sand, jaws open wide as the literal mouth to a cave, stairs leading downwards. Light shined from inside, but it wasn't hot.

"Let's see what we can find." Aladdin took a deep breath to prepare himself before stepping inside.

The others followed him down the long winding steps. It definitely was a lot cooler compared to outside, but still a little warm for Toshiro's liking. At least this was manageable.

They came out of the stairs at a long path with large stones jutting from the earth in perfect geometric shapes, suggesting contact with people. Outside the path was simply an enormous cavern covered in darkness due to little light, though the sand seemed to give off a slight glow. Looking closer they realized it was actually sand made from gems, reflecting the sparse light and amplifying it many times.

They didn't have time to marvel for long as Heartless shot towards them, hungry for hearts. Looks like they weren't alone in this cave.

'_**Master, there's water far below, and lots of it.**_' Hyorinmaru reported.

'_Perfect._'

Ahead of him, Sora cut down two purple Heartless that hovered above spheres, spheres they used to cast spells at the group. With Hero's Crest being a strength based Keyblade, it was easy to take down the magic users. The entrance leading further into the cave was blocked by two of the heavy Heartless, fire shooting out of their mouths.

Just then the air grew cold.

"Whoa, what's goin on?" Iago shivered, not used to such temperatures.

"The Captain found water." Sora beamed at the bird on his shoulder before turning around in time to spot an ice-water dragon plowing through the Heartless around Toshiro. "And lots of it."

"Wow." Aladdin's eyes were wide with surprise. So this was why the boy hated the heat, he was an ice spirit of some kind. Perhaps Sora could explain what he was.

He jumped as the figure he'd been watching from a distance suddenly appeared beside him. A chain-blade not previously seen was thrown forward and wrapped around one of the fire-breathing Heartless, quickly encasing it in ice before shattering. The second was slain by Sora's Keyblade.

"Feeling better, Captain?" Goofy grinned.

"Much better." One of those rare smiles broke through as Toshiro's return of energy put him in a good mood.

"I'm not, it's freezing." Iago grumbled shivering.

"This is normal for me."

"You're crazy."

"Leave him alone, Iago, he doesn't live in the desert like we do, and even we get hot." Aladdin hushed the bird.

"Come on, let's go!" Sora called out, running into the tunnel.

The others wasted no time following.

They came into a small chamber with water on the floor and running in a thick wall down the sides, hiding something from view. At the opposite end was a large golden statue sitting behind a pedestal with a hole in it, which happened to be the same shape as the large pink gem floating just in front of them. Easy enough.

"Careful." Toshiro warned as Goofy reached for it. "It won't be as simple as it looks."

"Yeah, something's bound to happen when we grab it." Aladdin nodded, getting closer to figure out what to do to avoid painful deaths.

A monkey appeared on his shoulder, having been stashed away in his shirt, surprising Toshiro.

"Abu!" Aladdin yelled as the monkey launched forward and grabbed the gem, landing lightly on the floor. Abu chattered back snappily, keeping a firm grip on it.

The room around them shook and the water falling down the sides stopped falling, revealing a row of angry statues on either side. Their eyes glowed and chunks of ice formed above Abu before falling to crush him. Light on his feet, the monkey avoided getting crushed by ice.

"Two can play at that game." Toshiro touched his blade to the water and it became under his command, moving aside and rising up in front of the statues before freezing.

Their source of water gone, the statues changed their game up, attempting to melt the ice back down.

"Abu, go put it in the slot, quick." Sora said to the monkey, most of his attention on the fire spouting out of the statues' mouths.

Not needing to be told twice, Abu raced over, chattering loudly, and inserted the gem into the slot. It fit perfectly, as they knew it would, and the statues stopped their assault, most of the ice melted anyway. The golden statue behind the pedestal glowed brightly before dissolving into dust and revealing a pathway further into the caves.

"What kind of treasure are we looking for?" Toshiro asked. He didn't want to be here longer than needed despite the much cooler temperatures. It was surely night by now and deserts were quite cold at night, just dry.

"We'll know it when we see it." Aladdin shrugged, leading the way further in.

The Reaper frowned at the vague answer but followed nonetheless. If this was as cliché as he thought it was, the treasure they wanted was guarded by a big Heartless. If only he could bet someone on that, he'd probably earn a lot.

No time for that. They were heading deeper in, and as long as there was water around he could handle whatever came their way.

* * *

**More desert. Fun. Into the Cave of Wonders! At least here there's water! (the water in that one scene had to come from somewhere, right?) Enjoy!**


	56. Agrabah: Pete Again

They stared at the sign intently. 'Complete your task within the time allotted.' Whatever that meant.

The group was standing upon a large square platform with only the sign in the middle. As of yet nothing happened.

"Are we supposed to-?" Sora cut off as he touched the sign, causing it to vanish. In the dust their task was spelled out. Defeat the enemies in two minutes as the floors progressively disappear.

"Easy!" Aladdin held aloft his blade, turning as the first few Heartless approached them.

Still in Shikai, Toshiro simply brought an ice dragon to him and had it take out the competition. The floor beneath them glowed and they slowly fell to the next.

This one had fire-breathers, though, which caused some trouble for the Ice Captain. They caught him off guard and as a result burned his left arm. He bit his lip at the painful sting but didn't let it bother him too badly, Flash Stepping behind one of them and cutting it down quickly. The other was knocked off its feet by Aladdin and swept upwards where Sora launched it off the platform with a hit heavy enough to kill it as it flew. The Keybearer had improved a lot over these last few days.

Donald was about to cast a Cure spell but the floor vanished from underneath him, knocking out his concentration. They could already see more of the Heartless below on the next floor. Thinking ahead, Toshiro looked past the pain in his arm and threw the chain-blade downward, ensnaring the problem Heartless, another fire-breather.

"_Way of Destruction Number Eleven, Bound Lightning!_" A golden bolt of lightning raced from his hand through the chain and practically vaporized the target.

"Donald!" Sora called out and activated his new form, the magic based one, causing Donald to disappear as he merged with Sora.

He propelled himself all the way down with magic and shot out several magic bolts in quick succession just as the others landed.

With Sora's Wisdom Form, Aladdin's speed and Toshiro's ice, it was fairly easy to defeat all the enemies, finishing on a floor with a golden elephant at each of the four points. Goofy gave the Ice Captain a potion that worked the same as Donald's Cure, healing the burn on his arm.

The trial over, everyone took a moment to relax. Sora reverted out of his form so Donald could join them and Toshiro sealed his zanpaktou, sheathing it for now as they rested.

"Man, this quest has been great." Aladdin laughed a bit. "I miss this kinda action."

"Just wait until Jasmine finds out." Sora teased.

"You wouldn't…"

The Keybearer laughed at the thief's expression.

"This isn't time to play around, we've gotta get that lamp!" Iago snapped, flying around to each of them, excluding Toshiro as the Reaper was ahead of them, glancing at the sign up the stairs.

"We know, jeez." Aladdin huffed, standing back up and walking over to read the same sign Hitsugaya was reading. "'Victor of the trials, you have great strength.' Wasn't much of a challenge, anyway."

"To some it might be." Toshiro shrugged. "I doubt this place expected people like us."

"True."

The door leading further in was locked, proven when Sora and Goofy attempted to push it open. Seeing as that didn't work, Donald copied Sora's earlier move and touched the sign.

Sure enough, the doors opened.

"Well…that's one way." The Keybearer mused.

Iago had a good feeling about this room and dashed inside, the others following at a slower pace to observe and conserve energy. It was completely covered in gold, piles of it around the walls with tons of gems gleaming amid the gold, bright colors among the yellow. It was stunning, for sure, and a decent boon for any pirate willing to fight their way here.

"There." Aladdin pointed to one piece standing alone near the back. "That one should do it."

The chosen prize looked to be a large golden trophy, multiple huge gems attached to it. Well, it was a treasure fit for a sultan, that was for sure. Did they really want to give this to a peddler? Toshiro guessed that, for such a prize, the need for that lamp was big. Jafar must have been seriously evil to drive them so far.

Donald was of course the first to run over. His love for treasure became rather obvious in that moment.

"Oh boy! It's perfect!" The duck nodded appreciatively. "That guy's gonna like this."

"Sure does look valuable." Sora agreed.

He felt sudden movement beside him and looked to see Toshiro glaring back towards the entrance, hand on his sword. That meant trouble. The Reaper's senses were never off.

"Great!" Aladdin replied to Sora's comment, unaware of this silent signal of danger. "Now we need to get the lamp. We have to keep Jafar bottled up or he'll destroy Agrabah." The thief finally noticed how Sora and Toshiro were both tense, Goofy catching on and lifting his shield, searching for enemies. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"We're being watched." Toshiro replied, sword now drawn and Hyorinmaru growling. "Pete found us."

"Curse that Pete." Donald grumbled, brandishing his staff.

They heard the slightest hint of someone snapping their fingers before the room grew dark, only a small circle of light around them. Anything outside of their circle was now invisible to them, completely masked even from the Soul Reaper. From this darkness came multiple Heartless, bell-like magic users and small fiery creatures in great number.

"Why does this always happen?" Donald sighed.

"Just stay focused." Hitsugaya snapped.

Even though they were weaker Heartless, there were a lot of them in a small space, and big attacks could cause problems. Speed and quick reflexes would be their saving grace here, and Goofy's boomerang shield. He used this quickly, spinning in quick circles and cutting through several of the creatures with the sharp edges of his shield. Donald used ice against the fiery Heartless to hopefully get rid of those.

"Let's go, Sora!" Aladdin said to the Keybearer. Sora grinned and they launched forward at the mass of small Heartless with surprising speed. Confused, the Heartless hardly stood a chance.

Either Pete or the Heartless were getting smarter as Toshiro noticed only the fire kind approaching him. They were easy to kill but the numbers were becoming bothersome, and despite his earlier show of talent, he was nearing the last of his energy. With Pete around there was sure to be more trouble so he couldn't waste it on small fry. This world brought him to a severe disadvantage and he was having trouble finding a way to overcome his handicap.

He cut down the last of the Heartless near him while Sora and the others eradicated the rest. They assumed they were done and let their guards down.

Fire slammed into the Ice Captain's back, knocking him away.

"Toshiro!" Sora kneeled down next to the stunned Reaper. Toshiro didn't reply at first, his head screaming at him from the pain of the burns.

How had he not sensed that Heartless? Pushing aside the pain he looked up to see one of the fire-breathers only half out of the darkness, walking all the way in as he watched. So that's how. A back attack from the shadows while he couldn't sense them. These creatures were smarter than he'd first thought. That wasn't all as three more came inside.

The pain subsided as a Cure spell was cast over him, though the fatigue remained, as did the headache. Though fully healed Toshiro was still too dazed from the initial attack to stand and fight. Sora and Aladdin took lead.

"Goofy, knock 'em off balance." Sora ordered, trying to think what Toshiro would do in this situation. They had to keep the Ice Captain away from the fire-breathers.

"Can do!" Working himself up, Goofy spun himself and slammed into the four Heartless.

They fell back and the sword wielders shot forward, jumping over the downed creatures before slicing them heavily across the back, Aladdin doing so several times as he knew his blade couldn't cut as deep as the magic-enhanced Keyblade. That was two down, two to go. The latter were standing back up.

"Blizzara!" Donald used his higher level ice spell to wound one of them, Sora getting in behind to finish it off. It turned partly and his attack didn't penetrate deep enough, allowing the Heartless to toss the boy back into the middle with a few scratches on his arms.

"Man I hate the fat ones." Sora grunted, on his feet again. With Toshiro badly hurt from the burns he couldn't let a few scratches hinder him. Aladdin was in rough shape as well as he backed away from the other Heartless to avoid getting killed.

A chain-blade shot past the Keybearer and latched onto one of the fire-breathers.

"I can't freeze it, I don't have the energy." Toshiro panted as Sora turned to look at him. "Hit it while it's trapped."

"Okay!"

With a burst of speed, Sora found himself behind the creature and hit it in the back as hard as he could. Having seen this, Toshiro's eyes widened somewhat.

'_Was that…Flash Step?'_ He brought the chain-blade back to him and let it vanish. '_It was still slow compared to most…but for a human to be able to Flash Step…his Spirit Energy has increased a lot since Land of Dragons._'

'_**Being in your presence constantly has most likely helped it rise quicker.**_' Hyorinmaru noted. '_**Donald and Goofy's as well. Their attacks are stronger.**_'

'_I wasn't sure that was possible…I suppose it's a good thing, though. The Heartless won't be as troublesome._' He turned to glare at the final fire-breather. '_Except these damn fire breeds._'

'_**They're only troublesome because of how weakened you became in the heat. Otherwise we'd have killed them off easily.**_'

Aladdin skirted around the fist of the Heartless and tripped it up in a familiar move, kicking it into the air as he had before and letting Sora finish it off with two quick strikes. Finally they were done, the darkness vanishing around them. The room became clear once more.

"Pete probably overheard us." Donald grumbled. "He'll go after the lamp!"

"Then we better get there first." Aladdin nodded. "Forget the treasure, if we save the peddler from the guy who brought those Heartless, he'll have to give us the lamp."

"He damn well better." Toshiro growled, standing and heading back towards the stairs.

"Sorry for the trouble…"

"It's not your fault. Pete's presence changed everything, as he usually does, and it's about time I finished him off."

The others shivered at his tone. Sure, Pete was a nuisance, but death seemed a rather harsh punishment. Not to mention he'd just turn into a Heartless, which would only serve to make the Reaper angrier.

It became clear quickly that Toshiro really was out of energy. He was able to cut down a few Shadows that jumped him before one of the magic sphere Heartless knocked him down, forcing Goofy to step out from the rear guard and take them out. Sora knew Toshiro wasn't feeling his best and made sure to keep on alert for anything, fighting the multitude of Heartless with Aladdin and Donald at his side, Goofy guarding the weakened Soul Reaper.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Iago hovered near Toshiro.

"I will be once I get out of this damn cave and out of the heat." Toshiro snapped, mood in a fragile state. The macaw quickly hid on Aladdin's shoulder.

"It should be night now; the desert gets really cold at night." The thief remarked. "If only we had some time to rest, but we gotta get Pete."

"We'll take care of the Heartless, Captain." Sora promised. "You get your energy back."

Toshiro nodded to him and they started off again, the Ice Captain no longer taking lead and lingering at the back with Goofy to help him.

It was indeed night outside as they exited the cave and traversed the desert again. But with Hitsugaya being so tired they couldn't sprint back to the city and were worried about making it there before the sun rose to make it worse. The night breeze was cool and refreshing, though somewhat harsh for the desert dwellers, but it had no power to give to the weakened Soul Reaper. He kept up as well as he could but Toshiro felt he didn't even have the energy to Flash Step.

Sora glanced back, noticing how utterly exhausted Toshiro was, fighting through it by sheer determination that could be seen in his gaze. When Sora had first met the Reaper he'd seemed invincible, a power of untold depths hidden inside a small body. But now it was brought to light that even a warrior of the dead could be killed. Frowning, he faced forward again, keeping Agrabah in his sights. They had to stop Pete and find the key so they could get him home.

They made it to the city entrance and took a moment to get their breath back.

"Man, if only Genie was here." Aladdin sighed, stretching. "Everything would be so much easier."

"We'll just have to get Pete ourselves." Donald said.

Toshiro walked past them and towards the gates. They thought he looked somewhat better now; probably the cold breeze.

In truth, he was ready to drop.

'_Damn, I can't give in now._' He inwardly growled, glad his hakama hid the fact that his legs were shaking, barely able to hold him up. '_This should be easy, at least. Just grab the lamp and get rid of Pete. Sealing it will be a problem, though._'

'_**Be careful, Master.**_' Hyorinmaru warned in a worried tone.

He put an arm on the wall to hold himself up while the others approached.

"The sun's starting to rise." Aladdin noted, pointing out the yellow peeking over the land and the colors racing through the sky. "We were in that cave all night trying to get to the treasure and back out."

"Not to mention crossing the desert." Sora sighed.

"Hurry up." Toshiro snapped at them. "Pete will have found the peddler by now."

They decided not to argue with him and headed into the town. There were few people moving around, still cautious about the strange creatures from the day before, early birds hoping to complete sales they would normally not be allowed to make. They hid away as the group passed, worried they would be reported, but the warriors were not interested in the Black Market, just a fat cat hoping to release an evil entity.

Once at the peddler's shop they looked to see if he was still there. Just as they'd thought, though, he was already gone, and so was their lamp.

"Crap, now what?" Sora scratched his head. He turned to Toshiro for the prodigy's help, but the Reaper was leaning heavily against the wall.

"Stop your whining and hand it over!" Pete's voice sounded off faintly outside, making them all tense.

"Oh no!" The peddler snapped back. "I'm trading it for treasure! This lamp is going to bring me riches!"

"Found him." Toshiro said.

They were quick to head back outside, just in time to spot the small peddler racing away with the lamp in hand, Pete chasing after him towards the palace. Even in the dull light of morning the pair was easy to notice.

"Let's catch him!" Sora shouted, first to follow after them at a quick run.

In any other situation, Toshiro could have cut them off and had the mission over and done with quickly. Unfortunately fate was against him and so all they could do was chase the pair into the palace courtyard, watching as Pete snagged the lamp only for the tiny peddler to snag it back.

"Lamp hog!" Pete growled.

"Go away!" The peddler shot back, still running.

"Make yourself useful." Toshiro said to Iago.

Thinking along the same lines, the macaw flapped hard and snatched the lamp out of Pete's grip as the cat managed to take it back from the peddler. The cat was confused at first from the lack of weight in his fingers, testing the air before actually turning to his hand to realize it was gone.

"Nice one, Iago!" Sora cheered.

"Don't drop it!" Donald snapped.

Pete and the peddler both ran after Iago in an attempt to reclaim their prize. So much fuss over one lamp. Hitsugaya motioned the bird over while reaching for his sword; exhausted or not, if he put up a good front he could scare them off. The bird rushed forward obediently and dropped the lamp into his hand.

The rage of the spirit inside burned his hand, causing him to grimace, but he held fast, keeping his blade up and causing the approaching chasers to freeze in their tracks, though not literally.

"Heh, don't look too good in the heat, Ice Captain." Pete sneered. The Reaper scowled, he hadn't thought his weakness would be so obvious. Hopefully he could fool the cat into thinking he still had power left to kill him, though Jafar's lamp was draining away the last of it. Sometimes he really hated being dead.

"Hold this." He tossed the lamp up for Iago to catch, the bird currently on his shoulder. They were confused at first until they saw the harsh red burns on his hands.

"Come on now, hand over the lamp." Pete demanded, hand out.

"Like Hell!" Sora snapped, bringing his Keyblade into his hands. The others readied their weapons as well.

The ground suddenly shook around them, causing everyone to glance around nervously.

What in the world was happening now?

* * *

**Gotta catch Pete! Toshiro's not looking to good, is he? Well, the next chapter will have a certain spirit that will be able to help him! XD Until next time! Enjoy!**


	57. Agrabah: Arrival of Genie

Though tired, Hitsugaya's senses were as alert as ever, allowing him to sense a powerful Spiritual Pressure speeding towards them from the sky. He whirled around to face it, Iago nearly falling off balance, and spotted a streak of blue rocketing towards them. The figure did a few flips through the air as he sped closer.

"I'm home!" The figure shouted, his voice somehow echoing loudly around them.

'_Please tell me that's not the genie friend of Aladdin's._' Toshiro frowned.

The figure darted in and spun past Pete, startling that cat.

"Al! It's been eons!" The genie shouted happily before hugging Pete tightly to the point of suffocating.

'_**I wonder if he's blind or something**_.' Hyorinmaru snorted.

"Al, you princely little muffin, you!" Genie continued on, not realizing he was hugging the wrong character, the actual Aladdin watching with both confusion and amusement. The genie teleported to Pete's other side. "Cosmic travel can get so lonely without a friend." Now on Pete's other side. "To think I left you forlorn and Genie-less!" He shook Pete a bit before pushing him aside. "Oh the humanity!" Tears rained down like one would see in a cartoon.

'_He's nuts…_'

His dragon was too busy laughing to reply. Genies were supposed to be, in a sense, gods of a sort. The fact that one was acting so…childish was making the Reaper just want to sit in a corner and forget everything.

The being vanished, appearing closer to Aladdin.

"Genie?" The thief called out, hoping to get his attention. Genie didn't seem to notice.

"Hey, Al, have you been putting on weight?" He asked, making his stomach bigger to copy Pete's obese form.

More teleporting as he went back to Pete, the cat dizzy from all the shaking and spinning.

"Aw of course, what am I saying!? You're living at the palace now!" Suddenly there was a second Genie, a bit more feminine that spoke in a similar voice as Jasmine. "Aladdin!" The original replied with a hug to his double. "Jasmine!"

A pink light shot up and exploded into fireworks in the shape of a heart.

"Make it stop…" Toshiro groaned, holding his head. Sora snickered, earning a glare.

"I can just picture it!" Genie still went on, appearing next to Pete and hitting him hard on the back, further dazing the cat. "Tell me, am I being a pest? Just a big, blue pest?"

"Yes!" The Ice Captain snapped out of frustration. If it hadn't been so hot the temperature would have dropped sharply.

The genie teleported in front of him.

"Oi, one moment kid." Toshiro scowled but was ignored as he went back to Pete, grabbing his arms and shaking them wildly. "I'm just so glad to see you, Al!"

"Genie." Aladdin called out, laughing a bit.

Surprised, Genie looked at the real Aladdin, then back to Pete.

"Oops." He let go of the feline and he fell to the floor.

The cat had to take a moment to clear his head before he stood.

"Oh I'll teach you to make a fool out of me!" He snarled but was for the most part ignored.

Laughing happily at finding the REAL Aladdin, Genie scooped the man up in a hug.

"So what are you doing hanging out with dead people?" The blue guy questioned, setting Aladdin down and teleporting next to Toshiro. "I mean, he's even a Captain. Real stiffs, these guys."

"I am not!" Toshiro growled before putting a hand to his head. His headache was getting worse.

"You alright, dude?" Genie hung upside down in front of him before teleporting to a few feet away. "Wait, I get it! I'm too much, aren't I? Should I leave?"

"Maybe…"

"It's actually the heat." Sora pointed out. "Captain Hitsugaya's got an ice-type power. He's kinda out of energy."

"Oh if that's all!" Genie now hovered next to the Reaper. "That's an easy one!"

"Easy one?" Toshiro blinked in confusion.

"Well sure! If a little cold is all you need to get kick-started…" He snapped his fingers.

Frigid air swirled up from underneath him and he covered his face from the sudden wind. Icy white light rose up in a circle and engulfed the small figure, cooling the air around them though not as much as inside. The light got stronger as it mixed with Toshiro's power and began to restore it. Teal eyes gained a light blue color as his power returned. Those not used to his Spiritual Pressure as Sora, Donald, and Goofy were fell to their knees from the sudden weight in the air. It lifted eventually, but they still felt rather terrified by it.

"Whoa." Aladdin watched as the light faded but the temperature drop remained, the small figure looking much more relaxed and composed now.

"Ta-da!" Genie cheered, appearing next to the Soul Reaper again. "Not a problem for a Genie! You Soul Reapers are easy fix-ups!"

"Easy for you to say." Toshiro frowned at him.

They heard a growl and realized they'd forgotten about Pete, turning back to him.

"Time for Plan B!" He snarled. "I'm finishin' you mugs off right now!"

With a grunt he lifted up his arm before slamming it heavily into the ground. The force echoed under their feet and continued on, gaining in frequency and shaking the earth. A stream of water shot up in one corner, ice streaming through it. A large blue Heartless appeared, top half clear with ice inside it and a long purple cape. It held a blue staff with a large ice crystal atop it.

"Hmph, weak." Toshiro lifted his zanpaktou.

Before he could chant the release command, fire erupted on the bushes before exploding and creating a red version of the ice Heartless, its staff red with a volcanic rock atop it.

"Fire and Ice?" Sora looked between the two.

"Easy for a Reaper, yeah?" Genie grinned, elbowing said Reaper lightly. Toshiro scowled at him.

"How much water can you make?" He questioned instead.

"Would you like an ocean or just a river?" Water swirled up around Genie at the spirit's command, the only being able to draw water from anywhere he wanted and not just the atmosphere around him.

"I don't think those in Agrabah would like being drowned."

"Oh, I like this one!"

Genie snapped his fingers again and the path in the center of the courtyard surrounded by short grass was suddenly turned into a pool. Perfect for someone who needed water to make a lot of ice, as not all of it could be made of Spiritual Pressure.

"Dangit." Pete scowled off to the side. If the genie hadn't arrived he felt sure he could have captured the Reaper then and made him into a Heartless, as Maleficent wanted.

The two Heartless began to approach them, Sora shifting his Keyblade to Hidden Dragon for the fire effect and turning towards the ice type. Toshiro stepped towards the pool and glared down the fire type.

"Hey Al, sit back and watch this." Genie said, leaning back into the air as if there wasn't a battle going on.

"You sure we shouldn't help?" Aladdin frowned.

"You kidding?! I aint getting turned into a popsicle! That kid's gotta lot of ice up his sleeve."

"Hm…"

The sky darkened quickly, the pale light of morning overshadowed by storm clouds. The water in the pool rose up violently, forming ice on its edges.

"Reign over the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru!"

The rising water now formed a dragon, larger than the one seen in the caves now that its creator had more energy to spare in the cold winds of the storm he made. The ice Heartless twirled its staff happily.

"That one might be harder to defeat." Aladdin commented and ran to Sora's side with Donald and Goofy. While the fire one would be easy to kill, Hitsugaya's ice would only serve to strengthen the ice lord, lords being what they looked like.

The flame lord created a ring of fire underneath the white haired Captain. White light flared up around the boy and the fire was put out immediately, sword thrusting downward as the dragon opened its jaws and snapped up the fat creature.

But there was more than meets the eye to these Heartless. Instead of vanishing, the creature exploded into multiple little fire Heartless, ones they encountered in the Cave of Wonders.

Daring a glance behind him, Toshiro saw Sora leap up and use his Keyblade to block the mouth of the Heartless before it could breathe out ice. It bloated up, and when Sora released, it shot around like a deflating balloon and slammed into the wall, exploding into little Heartless ice-cubes.

'_This makes it annoying._' Toshiro sighed and moved in to cut down the small fire creatures. Thanks to Genie he could fight them easily and dreaded to think what their fate would be had he not showed up and given the Reaper his power back.

Once he'd killed all the small Heartless, the big one came back.

"So how do I kill it?" Toshiro frowned, brows furrowed in thought.

He attacked it heavily once more, running it through. It split once more into its smaller versions that shot small balls of fire at their opponent, fire that was easily brushed aside.

'_Wait…_' Toshiro waited to kill any of them, counting their numbers. '_There are fewer of them…_'

'_**It's tedious, but keep going until no more pop out.**_'

'_My thoughts exactly._'

Sora had learned the same thing along with Aladdin, the two using their speed as an advantage. The ice Heartless was definitely stronger in the icy weather, yet suppressed by the foreign power creating it. With Hidden Dragon it was weakening, but it was troublesome when it breathed ice unexpectedly and they had to break it off their limbs, Donald using up his magic to heal the cuts left behind.

"Donald, use a big fire spell." Sora said to the duck.

"You got it! Fira!" Flames erupted over the large body of the Heartless. It screeched in surprise and burst into its smaller groups to confuse and surround them.

It didn't work, Aladdin using his talent to speed through and knock them all into a small group. Goofy then jumped up and slammed into their group with his shield, breaking them all apart and bringing back the bigger one.

"Man, this thing doesn't quit." Sora threw his Keyblade out, waiting until it left a large gash in the belly of the ice lord before summoning it back to him.

"Yeah…" Aladdin agreed, wiping his brow. He stiffened as he spotted something. "Watch out!"

They pulled away in time as the fire lord slammed heavily into the ice lord, knocking them both into a wall. Toshiro appeared beside them moments later.

"Lonely already?" Sora grinned.

"Just finish yours off." Toshiro sighed. "It got in my way."

"Let me try that attack again." The Keybearer held his weapon out hopefully. Toshiro glanced at him for a moment, contemplating, before putting his hand on the weapon. It was the hand burned from Jafar's lamp, the burn stinging terribly from the contact with the fiery weapon though he showed no outward sign of it.

"You get one shot." Toshiro told him and backed off.

"No problem!" Sora shot forward eagerly, Frozen Heavens held out to his side. '_He didn't teach it to me, but I've seen him use it a few times._' "_Ice Dragon Swirling Tail!_"

He swung horizontally forward, a wave of ice spiking outward where the blade was directed and spearing both Heartless lords in multiple places. When they split there was only three of each, their energy depleted.

"Got 'em!" Sora leapt into the middle and spun in a wide circle, his Keyblade arcing through the air and destroying the last of them. They vanished into blue spirit particles, their bigger forms appearing for a moment before also disintegrating. No hearts for Organization XIII this time.

"I don't remember teaching you that one." Toshiro sheathed his blade and walked over to Sora, the clouds overhead dispersing and revealing the sun climbing a little higher in the sky.

"I just copied you." Sora beamed, glad for the praise, if that's what it was. Toshiro smirked at him before turning his attention to Pete.

"You!" Said cat growled, angry. "You've messed with me for the last time! I'm gonna get you yet, Reaper!"

They watched him retreat from the courtyard.

"Know what? I'm too tired to chase him." To prove his point, Toshiro sat on the ground right where he was. Sora laughed at his words.

"Alright!" Genie cheered as he appeared among their group, giving a thumbs up with Aladdin. "I didn't have to do anything except make a pool!" He looked at said pool. "Better fix that." With a snap of his fingers the pool was gone, Toshiro frowning. It was starting to heat up again with the rising of the sun and he'd hoped to use that water to keep the immediate area colder.

Something flew past them with Abu riding atop it, a purple carpet with a rich array of colors embroidered around it. Right, genies AND flying carpets. The desert was complete now. The Soul Reaper among them let out an exasperated sigh. All they needed to do now was find the key home and he could go back to normalcy. Maybe. Normal for him, anyway.

"We should probably seal that away." He mentioned, gesturing towards Iago as the macaw joined them, lamp in his beak. The bird nodded to show he wanted to get rid of it quickly.

"I know a good place." Aladdin said. "Come on, follow me."

* * *

**Still trying to catch this one up to Soul Prince. Luckily I was able to get through this one. Homework hasn't gotten too terrible yet, and having a free period at the school REALLY helps. Anyway, Genie! He'll pick on Toshiro more in the next chapter XD He's a lifesaver! Enjoy!**


	58. Agrabah: Ice Prince?

After placing the black lamp within thick stone confines, Toshiro cast a Kido barrier over it to prevent anyone like Pete from getting to it, they returned to the palace courtyard. Sora reminded them that they still had one more job to do.

"So you used to be Jafar's pet?" Toshiro questioned the bird as they walked.

"Hey, I was not a pet!" Iago huffed. "Not that it matters, I'm never going back!"

"If you say so."

"What, you think I'm not serious?" Iago hovered in front of the Captain's face.

"I think you should get out of my way." This was accompanied by a cold glare. Iago gulped and moved out of the way.

Jasmine was waiting for them this time. She spotted Iago and looked ready to grab the guards before realizing that no one else in their group, including Aladdin, seemed worried about his presence. The princess waited for an answer, confused. Sora and Goofy explained quickly.

"I promise - you won't regret giving me another chance." The bird said with sincerity, landing in the princess's hands as she held them out. "Honest!"

"Uhh…Princess Jasmine." Genie whispered. "You sure you want that pigeon in the coop?"

"Oh, I think Iago's shown that he means well." Jasmine smiled at the blue figure.

"Eh, maybe."

"And how much trouble can one noisy bird cause?" Sora grinned, hands behind his head in a relaxed posture.

"You just might have a point there, kid." Genie chuckled.

Iago huffed and the others laughed, Toshiro just rolling his eyes.

"So what happens now, Sora?" Jasmine said, turning to the Keybearer.

"Well," He scratched his head nervously, "it was nice seeing you all…but we've still gotta get Captain Hitsugaya home and find Riku and the King. I guess we'll be going." '_We've still gotta find the key item._'

"Wait!" Genie teleported to hover behind Toshiro, startling the Reaper. "I never got a chance to say hello to the Ice Prince here!"

"Ice…Prince?" Toshiro looked at the genie in confusion.

"Yeah, you know." A puff of smoke and Toshiro was in the clothing of royals, ice blue and white in color with a crown upon his head. Sora and Goofy covered their mouths to hide their laughter. "Or is this the wrong story?"

"What are you talking about?" Toshiro growled, taking the crown off. He was seconds away from drawing his sword on the spirit.

"But doesn't he fit the role?" Genie put the crown back on and created a background of flashing lights and ice figures to showcase him, the blue man himself dressed as an announcer. "Lookie here! Prince of ice coming through!"

"Stop that!" Toshiro growled. It didn't help that Sora and the others were on the ground laughing.

"Aw, just having fun." Genie's shoulder slumped and he snapped his fingers, the 'stage' vanishing and Toshiro once more in his uniform. He then teleported to Sora. "Told you they're stiffs."

"GENIE!"

"Woops, now I got a Reaper mad at me." Back to Toshiro's side. "What would make this kid smile anyway, huh?" Other side. "Ooh, maybe some candy!"

"I'm NOT a little kid! And I hate candy!"

"Whoa, seriously?" Sora stopped laughing.

"Yes." Toshiro snapped, still in a foul mood.

"Talk about your fixer-upper." Genie muttered to Sora. The Keybearer nodded.

"Hey!"

"Where's Aladdin?" Donald questioned, noticing the thief's missing presence. Their conversation stopped as they looked around for him.

"He went into the city looking for Abu." Jasmine replied. "But he should be back by now…"

"Eh, Al can't miss Sora's big farewell party!" Genie said dramatically. "I'll have him back in a jiffy!"

With a twirl and a small whirlwind of light he vanished.

Heaving a sigh, Toshiro sat back down to try and get rid of his headache he had acquired with Genie's messing around. Prince? As if. That could never happen, not in his lifetime. He was from the Rukongai where the poor fought for scraps, it wasn't possible. But for a moment, Genie had entertained the idea in his head. And what had he meant by wrong story?

"Abu!"

At the shout they all turned around. The monkey was racing towards them, a large red gem in his paws. Toshiro's interest was drawn to it; there was the key item.

"Catch him!" Aladdin called out.

"_Way of Binding Number One, Restrain._" Toshiro chanted almost lazily, hand out towards the monkey.

Abu squeaked madly as his hands were suddenly thrust behind his back and he fell flat on his face, the large gem rolling right to Donald's feet.

He must have stolen it from the Cave of Wonders." Aladdin explained, picking up his monkey friend. Hitsugaya undid the Kido.

"Abu!" Donald chided, picking up the gem. He looked at in wonder, clearly fascinated.

"It must be hard to resist." Toshiro commented and Donald looked at him, that cold teal stare held on him knowingly. So the Reaper already knew he loved treasure.

The duck laughed nervously.

"Aw, who needs it?" Donald said, making the motion of throwing it before hiding it behind his back. The others didn't seem to notice, wondering where it had gone.

Since he was sitting behind the duck, Toshiro sighed and stood, picking it up from behind him. Donald grumbled unhappily.

"I…uh…guess it got stuck."

"Of course it did." Toshiro frowned. "But we can't throw it away just yet."

Sora's face lit up, understanding what he meant and summoning his Keyblade to hand. The gem gave off a bright glow at the same time the Keyblade did, the Reaper holding the former out before him as it floated into the air. It wasn't the one needed to unlock the barrier home, though, so he stood aside while Sora did his job.

"Sora, what was that?" Aladdin questioned, dazed by the light show.

"I think it's time for us to go." The Keybearer replied, shoulders falling.

"Will you be back?" Jasmine asked, standing next to Aladdin with a hand on his shoulder.

"We will, I promise."

Aladdin gave him a thumbs up and Sora grinned. He then turned to Toshiro.

"I can finally get out of this heat." The Reaper sighed. "Thank Genie for me."

"You can do it." Aladdin handed over a gem. "He wanted me to give this to you guys. Just call for Genie anytime."

It was a summon stone, a purple one with a golden lamp on its surface. Toshiro could feel Genie's Spiritual Pressure inside it.

"Awesome!" Sora took the charm willingly. "Thanks Aladdin! See ya!"

"See you guys soon!"

The group of four stepped outside the gates before teleporting back to the ship. Toshiro relished in the coolness of it, sinking down into his chair to rest.

"Time for the other one." Sora grinned as Donald pulled up a visual. "Hey, Halloween Town! Wonder what Jack's doing."

"Jack Sparrow?" Hitsugaya questioned.

"Ah, no, Jack Skellington." Sora glanced back. "He's the Pumpkin King, ruler of Halloween Town. But he's actually a nice guy."

"Spirits of Halloween." Toshiro sunk further into his chair. "Just great."

"Well, at least it's pretty cold there."

The screen flickered and the chipmunks, Chip and Dale, covered over it.

"Look, it's Twilight Town!" They reported, taking over their computer for a brief moment to show them. "Yup, I can see it! It's back again!"

"Thanks, guys!" Sora grinned. "We'll go back as soon as we can. We've got some other things to do."

"Alrighty, we'll keep you posted!" Dale saluted and the two of them vanished off screen.

With a promise to head to Twilight Town later, the trio piloted the Gummi Ship towards Halloween Town. In the back, the Ice Captain thought about the situation. Why would Twilight Town now suddenly return from darkness? Where had it gone in the first place? Something was happening behind the scenes that they weren't getting and it made him nervous. He hated not knowing things.

His Soul Pager went off with a sharp tone, signaling someone was trying to contact him. Assuming it to be Rangiku he casually opened the phone and put it to his ear.

"_Hey Captain, that you?_" It wasn't Rangiku.

"Demyx?" Toshiro sat up, trying to figure out why Demyx sounded so hushed and panicked. Donald motioned him over and he quickly went to plug the phone into the ship.

"_Yeah, sorry for the sudden call._" Some rustling movement. "_I'm definitely not as good at hiding as Axel, but I got away. It's harder to hide when Nobodies can track you from more than Spiritual Pressure, mine's completely hidden!_"

"Where are you now?" Toshiro demanded.

"_There's a city outside the castle where the Organization lives, I'm managing to lose them in here. Not sure for how long and I can't open up a portal or they'll know where I'm going. While I'm on this world, anyway, I'm a ghost once I move worlds._"

"World hop." Sora suggested. "Go to one world and then immediately go to another. Move around a bit and then wait to see if they find you."

"_Hey, great idea._" Demyx paused and there was the sound of something covering over him. "_Gotta go, the pager doesn't work in the dark portals. I'll find you guys soon!_"

The connection cut out before he hung up, signaling he was already moving through portals.

"This is why he never went to the Stealth Force." Toshiro retrieved his phone. "He's terrible at hiding in one place for long, but he does know how to lose a pursuer."

"What rank was he again?" Sora asked.

"Thirteenth before he vanished." Toshiro went back to his seat. "I haven't had a chance to figure out what his rank would possibly be now through his power."

"How did a kook like him get into the Organization anyway?"

"Simply because he's a Soul Reaper." '_If Demyx had been strong enough, he and Roxas could have opened up the pathway to Soul Society._'

"Oh, guess so." The Keybearer shrugged and continued driving.

They continued on towards Halloween Town, battling through the Heartless infested path with little injury, though the ship was starting to weaken. It had been repaired at Disney Castle, but that had now been a few days ago, and the ship was in need of a repair soon before a stray shot managed to hit a weak point and cast them all into space.

For now, though, they would be fine as they made it to the world of Halloween and let the ship orbit around it, teleporting down into the city.

They appeared in a place of darkness, a full moon high in the sky as their only light, revealing a graveyard around them. Toshiro spotted the others with a change of appearance. Donald was a mummy, part of his middle missing and his eyes set into a permanent angry frown. Goofy was a spin-off of Frankenstein and Sora looked like a vampire, complete with fangs and little bat wings, an evil laughing pumpkin on the right side of his head.

He spotted Sora giving him a strange look and dreaded to think what he looked like.

"Well, guess we've got all the bases covered." The Keybearer snickered.

Glaring at him first, Toshiro looked down at himself.

"What the hell is this!?"

* * *

**Ha, see what I did there? I made a reference to Soul Prince, my other story...haha...probably just funny to me.**

**Anyway, Genie picks on Shiro some more(thank you person who gave me the prince idea, haha) before they leave and Demyx reports in. Now it's time to see what Shiro is in Halloween Town! (I've probably told some of you already...) Enjoy!**


	59. Halloween Town: Plight of the Wolfman

Of all the things to be in a world of Halloween, he had to be a wolf. A werewolf, but still a wolf.

The worst part was his didn't have some scary twist to it like large canines, though he noticed they were sharper, or bloody fur. He still had his scar visible, which made him uncomfortable, but other than that he was, as Sora pointed out…adorable.

He growled at the thought, though now it came out as an actual growl, his white fur bristling. Yes, he was covered in white fur save for his shoulders, neck and face, a long white tail moving behind him and canine ears going flat in annoyance. His hands and feet had sharp claws as well, which Sora didn't want coming near him. Without the large flowing uniform it was easy to see just how thin he actually was, though he was very lean as well. At least he still had Hyorinmaru, the sword at his back. Like in Atlantica, he had a badge on his arm with his Squad number and symbol.

"Aw come on, Toshiro, we've gotta fit in somehow." Sora said pleadingly, wanting the canine Reaper to stand back up and move to the town with them. "The people here are all 'scary', so we have to be too."

"This isn't scary." Toshiro growled. "I stand out the most because of that."

"Well, it could be scary." Goofy attempted.

The Reaper just growled at him. For a brief moment he looked much fiercer, the fluffy white wolf replaced with a very angry werewolf, ice on the edges of his fur to make it look sharper, and they took a step or two back.

"S-see…that was scary." Sora laughed nervously. So the scary only came out when he was angry.

"Fine." Toshiro stood. "I might as well get it over with."

"There ya go!" Sora beamed, fangs gleaming in the light. "Right, onwa-"

He cut off as a glowing white figure zoomed past, startling them, causing Donald and Goofy to jump, the latter covering his eyes and shivering.

"Hey, it's Zero!" Sora greeted the ghost dog with the red nose happily. "How've you been, boy?"

Zero barked and spun once around Toshiro, recognizing a fellow spirit, before hovering back to the town. Were those Christmas lights along the rails? Wrong holiday. Perhaps something was wrong.

"Follow the dog, I guess." Toshiro said. The others nodded and headed that way with him.

Together they followed the road into the main part of town, bright orange lights lining the walls and hanging overhead between buildings above them. They may be Halloween colors, but they were still Christmas lights. What's more, there was a large ramp built around the center where a large fountain stood, a black figure spouting a sickly green liquid from its mouth, a guillotine off to the side. Definitely Halloween.

"Wonder what that's for?" Sora mused, looking at the ramp curiously. They had been here before but that was nearly a year ago. Some things had clearly changed.

Toshiro tensed, catching a strange scent. Right, he was a wolf now. Trying to piece together how to recognize scents as he would Spiritual Pressure, he heard a ringing of bells, a harsh sound that made his ears immediately flatten back. Upside, amazing hearing, downside, sensitive. Same for his sense of smell. He needed time to get used to these.

They turned towards the source and saw something large flying their way, three skeletal deer being steered by a tall figure, equally as skeletal, with a big grin on his face. As he got closer they realized it was a makeshift sleigh.

'_What is a skeleton doing playing Santa?_' Toshiro frowned, confused.

The deer landed against the ramp and began to slow down, the 'sleigh' with it. Beside him, Sora waved to the tall skeleton, a towering figure at least seven or eight feet tall.

"Sora, Donald, and Goofy!" The skeleton greeted with a smile. "Welcome back!

"Hey Jack!" Sora grinned.

"And welcome Sora's friend!" Jack stepped down and had to bend over completely to shake Toshiro's hand…or paw. "Oh! You're not actually a werewolf!" He stood back up straight, rather intimidating for someone who was only four foot four. "Welcome to Halloween Town, Soul Reaper! We haven't had you guys around for centuries!"

"Uh…right."

"You know, Soul Reapers used to be very helpful with Halloween." Jack paused, remembering something. "Before I forget, Merry Christmas!"

"Huh?" Sora frowned. "Don't you mean 'Happy Halloween'?"

"Of course," Jack laughed, putting a hand to his chest, "Halloween greetings from Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King!"

As he said the last bit his face contorted to a rather terrifying expression that a skull should not be capable of. Even Toshiro flinched a bit, Jack's claws curled toward them in a menacing manner before he straightened himself back out to a friendlier figure.

"Forgive me," Jack sighed, "I'm in a Christmas mood. You see, I'm running the show again this year, but I need Sandy Claws' blessing, so I'm off to Christmas Town."

"I don't think it's a good idea for a creature of death to run a holiday centered on joy." Toshiro warned.

"Oh but it's so much fun!" Jack said, bending down his tall frame. "It's so different and wonderful! It gets tiring doing the same thing, year after year."

"Try doing the same thing every day."

"Oh?" Jack tilted his head, confused.

"Never mind…But I advise against replacing Santa."

"But I've worked so hard." Jack frowned, leaping onto the side of the fountain. The black statue turned towards him for a moment, startling them, before it froze again. "Aren't these decorations wonderful!? This year Halloween Town will handle Christmas too!" He jumped back down. "But first we have to visit Sally. She's working on something no self-respecting Santa can live without!"

'_**I know he's a skeleton but he HAS to have some kind of common sense in that head of his.**_' Hyorinmaru rumbled.

"Come along – I'll show you!" AS if Toshiro's warning had never reached him the Pumpkin King turned to lead them onward.

"A Halloween Town Christmas?" Sora mused.

"Probably the worst idea ever." Toshiro sighed.

Goofy and Donald shivered as they looked around the area, spotting rather creepy looking toys mixed with the guillotine and the skeletal deer.

"We should still check it out." Sora grinned and followed after Jack. His animal companions sighed.

They caught up with the towering skeletal figure and headed towards one of the houses. They weren't sure what to expect inside.

It turned out to be a lab, a pile of robotic parts on the table and various ingredients and potions scattered around, a large book on the other side with a small man in a wheel chair before it, skin white as paper. He seemed immersed in his book, grumbling to himself. To the side there were three small figures seemingly discussing how to move a part over to the table. One was a girl dressed as a witch, one a boy in a devil costume, and the last a rounded out skeleton costume.

That in itself wasn't all that creepy to Toshiro, as he'd seen worse in Mayuri's labs on the rare occasions he'd have to go there. What did freak him out a bit, though, was when the one in the wheelchair OPENED his HEAD and scratched his BRAIN. That sight made the Reaper grimace.

"Hello Doctor!" Jack greeted, completely unaffected. "Where's Sally?"

Head still open, the doctor turned to look up at him.

"Can't you see that I'm in the middle of an experiment?!" He growled, making Toshiro think even more of Mayuri. He hoped to whatever gods would listen they never got together.

Assuming this would take some time, Toshiro sat down, not realizing at first that he did so the way a dog would, his tail curling up around him. No one noticed, distracted by the three children as they carried over the heavy looking part to the table. A woman walked in, a stitched up doll kind of character with bluish skin and long red hair, catching Toshiro's eye, but she looked a little sad.

"Hey this is way too heavy!" Toshiro turned back to the children as the devil one complained.

"Then let's toss it!" The witch suggested. The other two nodded.

At the table, the doctor tensed and turned to them with a scowl.

"You do and you'll be sorry." He snarled. "Now bring it over here!"

They ignored him and prepared to toss.

"Heave-ho!" The part flew up and landed heavily on the table, the doctor looking both horrified and furious at the same time. The piece sparked terribly.

"Might want to back away." Toshiro warned.

The doctor took his advice just as the piece gave off a small explosion, the flames touching the ceiling before going out, everyone gasping in surprise or covering their face. Despite the flames the room stayed cool; an effect of Toshiro's Spiritual Pressure, no doubt.

They heard the woman at the door give out a sigh just before the children removed their masks, though their actual faces looked no different, and laugh raucously before fleeing to the door.

"Imbeciles!" The doctor shouted, slamming his hands onto his chair. "Now my experiment is ruined!"

Much like any shouting old man the doctor was ignored and the children made their escape outside. Jack spotted Sally and approached her with a smile.

"Sally! Did you finish it?" He questioned, sounding excited. "I wanna show my good friends."

"I…I'm sorry, Jack…" She shifted nervously. "I need a little bit more time."

"Oh." Jack looked a little disappointed but perked up quickly. "That's alright! Just as long as it's ready for Christmas."

He started to walk away.

"But…Jack…" Sally called after him, trying to get his attention. It seemed Toshiro wasn't the only one he ignored.

"I'd best be off!" The skeleton waved back. "I've gotta go get Sandy Claws right away. Wonderful to see you again!" He looked at Toshiro. "And wonderful to meet you! Goodbye, for now!"

The tall figure left to head outside, leaving them all there in the lab to wonder what to do.

"Got get…Santa Claus?" Sora mused, looking a little starry-eyed. A fifteen year old that still believed in Santa, Toshiro grimaced, just his luck.

"Please Sora." Sally turned to them with a pleading look. "I'm afraid something terrible will happen if Jack goes through with this."

"You can say that again!" Donald quacked, Toshiro nodding his agreement.

"Uh, Sora." Goofy's curious tone made them look at the Keybearer. He had a dazed expression and wasn't paying any attention to them.

"Sora!" Toshiro stood and hit the Keybearer upside the head.

"Ow!" Sora frowned at him. "What was that for?"

The Reaper didn't get to answer as Jack came back inside, looking a little confused.

"Are those strange-looking fellows in the town square with you?" He asked them.

"What 'fellows'?" Sora asked.

"You know, the ones who wanted to spoil Halloween AND Christmas?" He gestured with his hands. "What are they called again?" He tapped his skull in thought. "Heartless?"

"Most definitely not with us." Toshiro reached back for his blade. "We'll deal with them."

"And then we can go see Santa!" Sora turned to the Reaper with a hopeful look.

"You're hopeless." Toshiro ignored him and headed outside quickly, the sheath dissipating as he drew his sword.

"Right, Heartless first." Sora raced outside after him, Donald and Goofy not far behind with Jack tailing them.

Outside they found a short, squat man with two faces shouting into a megaphone.

"Now listen here you, you…things!" His quivering voice shouted from the pale gray frowning face. "Leave Halloween Town at once!"

The Heartless, roaming mummy-like figures, paid him no mind and continued to hobble near the citizens of the town, who quickly backed away to a safe position.

"Jack!" The man called out. "Jack, where are you! I'm only an elected official; I can't handle this by myself!"

A Heartless approached the mayor and he backed away with a whimper.

A flash of white and the Heartless was knocked away easily. The mayor was surprised to see not Jack but a Soul Reaper in the guise of a werewolf, a rather strong looking one at that with a wicked scar on his left side.

"Oh, thank you!"

"We'll handle this!" Sora shouted, Keyblade in the new form, a monochromatic color with a lifesaver-like shape for the handle and sharp points shaped like steamboat chimneys as the teeth. He wanted to see what this one could do.

Jack ushered the mayor to safety before standing with them to fight. The Heartless could sense the approach of the Keybearer and quickly turned on them, their single eyes staring them down.

"Don't fall behind." Toshiro told the Keybearer.

"Same to you." Sora grinned cheekily.

They darted forward at the Heartless.

It didn't take long at all to decimate the Heartless in the town's square with the two of them. Sora couldn't help but notice that Toshiro would occasionally use his claws, growling aloud when a Heartless got too close. Similarly, Sora sometimes felt the need to go for the neck, and not just with his blade. Looks like it was more than their appearance changed, they were fitting in full time.

"How is Sandy Claws supposed to relax with all this going on?" Jack sighed once the creatures were gone, having killed a few himself with a strange version of magic; his fire was shaped like pumpkins and his ice spells ghosts. The skeleton smiled as he thought of something. "That's it fellas! Sandy Claws needs bodyguards, are you up to the task?"

"You're really serious about this." Toshiro muttered under his breath.

"Yeah!" Sora replied to Jack, looking excited. "Right, Toshiro?"

"Not like you're giving me much choice." The Reaper sighed.

"Alright, bodyguards!" Jack called their attention. "Christmas Town is this way!" He pivoted on his heel to the path leading back to the graveyard. "The doorway is in the woods just past the graveyard."

"And Sora." Toshiro called out as they started walking.

"Yeah?"

"It's Captain Hitsugaya."

The Keybearer pouted. For a moment he thought he might have gotten away with getting to call Toshiro by his first name. At least he didn't sound snappy about it, and there had been times where he hadn't bothered to correct them. Maybe he'd eventually get over it.

Under Jack's guidance they traversed through the graveyard once more and into the woodlands. Donald and Goofy were startled by subtle noises and pairs of eyes watching them in the sparse foliage, shivering and remaining close to Sora and Toshiro, both unaffected by it, though the former only because he wasn't paying attention, eager to see Santa.

Deep in the woods they came upon a strange grouping of trees, doors carved into them clearly meant for different holidays. Easter, Valentine's Day, and, of course, Christmas.

'_Well Christmas Town will definitely have snow._' He mused. '_This place will make it easy for me to fight, and thanks to this stupid fur coat I have now I won't feel the cold at all._' Hyorinmaru rumbled his agreement.

Jack stepped up to the door shaped like a Christmas tree, one of the ornaments being the handle.

"Here it is!" He said with an excited air, gesturing to the door. "The door to Christmas Town. The spooks of Halloween can get so tiresome year after year," he paced over to the other side, "I wanted something new! And then I found this!"

Sora stepped closer, examining the door and wanting nothing more than to jump right in.

"Beyond this door is a world filled with wonders the likes of which you've never seen!"

'_Try me._' Hitsugaya frowned.

"At first I couldn't believe my eyes! Everything was so fresh and exciting!"

Unable to take it any longer, Sora darted forward and opened the door, leaping inside without further ado.

"I swear he doesn't think sometimes." Toshiro growled, stepping forward calmly to follow after him.

"Me too." Donald nodded.

One by one they all jumped in and headed off for Christmas Town.

* * *

**Werewolf Toshiro! Or Wolfman Toshiro. Either one! XD Enjoy!**


	60. Halloween Town: Threats to Christmas

The portal around them went dark before they were thrust out into a world of white and cold, landing atop one another. Frustrated, Toshiro pushed the two animals off of him before getting off of Sora and brushing the snow off his fur. Meanwhile, the Keybearer was looking ahead of them with a mystified and excited expression, grin spreading with each moment.

"Whoa!" Goofy jumped as he realized how close he was to Toshiro. "It's hard to see you in the snow, Captain."

"Hmph." The werewolf frowned, running a hand through his hair to get the snow out. Cold was fine but he didn't particularly like being wet, and not with fur.

"So where's Santa?" Donald questioned, bringing their attention to the town down the hill. It was brightly colored with snow piled high on the roofs and colored lights of red and green lining every edge and railing. There were decorated trees around the town and a merry-go-round in the middle.

"In his workshop." Jack replied to the mummy duck's question, stepping past them to the start of the path. "Shall we?"

"You bet!" Sora scrambled to his feet before shivering. "Hey, uh, Donald…"

"I got it." The duck waved his staff and cast the warming spell on three of them, knowing Toshiro would be perfectly fine.

That done, they started heading down the snowy path towards the village.

"I wonder if Santa knows about Soul Reapers." Sora mused.

"Skellington does." Toshiro pointed out. "Even if Santa doesn't exist in our world, we obviously had interactions with this place before."

"Think he'll give you something?" The Keybearer grinned.

"Christmas isn't really celebrated like that in Japan." The Reaper sighed. "Plus…if I remember right the story is he only gives gifts to good people. I wouldn't count myself among them."

"Oh don't be so pessimistic." Sora argued, putting an arm over the boy's shoulders. "Remember what Queen Minnie said? You're good at heart, and that's what counts!"

Toshiro glanced at the Keybearer, a long stare that Sora couldn't read very well, unsure if the Reaper was contemplating whether to hit him or not. After a while he got, not a rough hit, but a tiny smile.

"I suppose you're right."

Pleased, the Keybearer dared to scratch the Reaper behind his now canine ears. Startled at first, Toshiro stiffened before the wolf instincts took over and made him relax, tail wagging and a grin forming on his face. It looked very strange to the others but at the same time cute and they couldn't help but laugh.

The laughing snapped him out of it. Scowling, Toshiro slapped the offending hand away.

"I'm not a dog!" He growled.

"Sorry, couldn't help it!" Sora said between laughs.

They were approaching the town now, their Reaper friend in a foul mood, somewhat embarrassed as well due to the fact that he couldn't control what had happened. There was a lack of activity, they noticed, especially so close to Christmas when things needed to be getting ready for that one night where their hard work paid off.

Fur bristling, Toshiro unsheathed his zanpaktou just as several Heartless appeared before them.

"Here, too!?" Sora scowled, summoning the black and white Keyblade to him, the others taking stance as well.

"En guard, loyal bodyguards!" Jack called out, donning a fierce expression and readying himself to use his dark magic.

The snow beneath them began to harden as Toshiro's Spiritual Pressure rose, turning it immediately to ice at his command. Curious, Jack turned to look at the Soul Reaper only to catch just a glimpse as he Flash Stepped away, appearing next to a Heartless and killing it in two strikes. They were getting more difficult, but in this realm of snow they stood no chance.

Sora was next to dart forward, copying Toshiro's movements to go faster. He could swear he could actually see Toshiro moving now, not just teleporting, and he knew for a fact it wasn't the Reaper getting slower. He wondered if it was perhaps himself getting faster, then, and felt a little more confident as he struck.

A Heartless attempted to attack Toshiro from behind, only to be clawed across the face, Toshiro baring his fangs at it before giving it the final blow. He took no notice to his new behavior, continuing his attack until all the Heartless were gone. It wasn't until Jack had destroyed the last Heartless that his bristling fur settled down and he was less intimidating to approach.

"Christmas is in big trouble." Donald quacked, scanning the area for more creatures. He and the others didn't relax until the Reaper sheathed his sword, signaling there was no more hiding nearby.

"Gawrsh, we can't let anything bad happen to Christmas." Goofy whined, concerned. The dog was always worried about something.

Only half paying attention, Sora looked towards Toshiro with a concerned glance. First the canine reactions were funny, especially the petting, but this was rather scary. What's more, Toshiro didn't even seem to realize he was doing it. He worried what would happen if someone took advantage of that.

'_He can take care of himself._' Sora assured to himself. '_He snapped out of it earlier, and in a fight no one would mess with him, so he'll be fine._'

His attention turned to the tall skeleton as Jack came over and pointed towards the large building with a tall chimney.

"That's where Sandy Claws lives." He reported.

"Cool!" Sora slapped a smile back on and headed for the door.

Flicking his tail once in annoyance, Toshiro followed after him with Donald, Goofy and Jack not far behind.

"What was the doctor trying to make back in the lab?" Toshiro asked the Pumpkin King as the trio ran ahead.

"Oh, that? I'm not really sure." Jack shrugged. "But he's always doing something so it isn't much of a big deal. He made my reindeer for me, and my sleigh!"

"Hm…"

They stepped inside to a warm cozy room, the werewolf scowling, and found multiple little elves running around, a large man in red with a long white beard on the couch looking through a long list. Well, it was pretty obvious who and what everything was.

Sora let out an excited gasp as he looked around, catching Santa's attention.

"Well, hello everyone!" He greeted warmly, his cheeks lifting to show he was smiling. "Have you come to see if you're on my 'nice' list?"

Nodding vigorously, the vampire stepped forward.

"Name?" Santa questioned humorously.

"Um, Sora, sir." The Keybearer replied, practically shaking with both nervousness and excitement. Donald and Goofy stood next to him while Toshiro hung back at the entry way, Jack looking at him curiously before joining the trio.

The jolly man looked down at his list, letting out a hum of thought as he checked the names.

"Ah, here you are!" Santa chuckled, and then frowned. "Well, according to my list, Sora, seven years ago you told everyone you did not believe in Santa Claus. Oh, that is unfortunate." He stroked his beard in thought.

Startled, Sora put his hands to his head, apparently coming to remember those very words and letting out a groan.

"How about Donald and Goofy?" Donald asked.

Checking the list once more, Santa found the names and nodded with a smile.

"Hey, what about Toshiro?" Sora went over to the white wolf and pushed him over despite the Reaper's grumbling.

"I'm afraid I don't keep in contact with the Soul Reapers anymore." Santa shook his head. "And besides, this particular Reaper thinks himself too grown up for gifts."

"Because I'm not a kid." Toshiro snapped, not caring who he was talking to.

"Well, not at the moment, anyway." Santa chuckled. Toshiro frowned, ears flattening.

"Am I on your list, Sandy Claws?" Jack stepped up. "It's me, Jack!"

The man stiffened and looked at the skeleton suspiciously.

"Jack Skellington?"

Suddenly there was a loud crash coming from somewhere deeper in the factory, setting everyone on edge.

"What trouble have you brought with you this time?" Santa grumbled, standing and heading over to the doorway, no doubt towards where the toys were made.

"This time?" Toshiro quirked an eyebrow at Jack.

"It's a long story." The skeleton shrugged.

As a group they headed into the workshop to see what was the matter.

The minute he stepped inside Toshiro stiffened, recognizing the dark and powerful Spiritual Pressure inside. Maleficent was here, and wherever she was, trouble was sure to follow. Plus, he didn't really want to be lectured by the queen of darkness about the terrible things he'd done.

"Stay down." Toshiro ordered them all and unsheathed his sword, jumping up to the top of a ramp.

"There you are." Maleficent grinned, holding her staff aloft, bright green fire burning up around her. The three children from Halloween Town yelped in surprise and ran for it. "You make an adorable werewolf, Captain Hitsugaya."

"Shut up!" The chain-blade was thrown forward with the purpose of chaining her down.

Frowning slightly, the witch let the flames rise higher, teleporting away. So she didn't want to risk a full on confrontation with him, smart.

"Damn." Toshiro growled.

"Please avoid that language here." Santa said as he walked over.

"My apologies." He kept his grip tight on his blade, worried the witch would attempt to return. "The other three got away."

"That was Lock, Shock and Barrel." Jack reported, looking concerned.

"Those three?" Santa grumbled.

"I assure you, they're not with us."

"In any case they've all been quite naughty." The man in red started to walk back to his shop. "Catch them and bring them here, they're going to get a lecture."

"I honestly doubt that will work." The Reaper shook his head. "But it won't take long to catch them."

"Yeah, come on!" Sora beckoned them onwards back outside, Toshiro in the lead. "You too, Jack!"

Though the skeleton seemed to have more to say to Santa, he eventually followed them out to help catch the three mischievous runts that were no doubt working for Maleficent at that very moment. Hitsugaya disliked this very much.

Outside they spotted footsteps, at first showing three sets before only showing one set of a four-legged creature. Apparently they had jumped on something to get away faster, their presence already leaving through the door back to Halloween Town. They were rather fast for such small people in the snow.

Following these tracks they headed back up the hill to the tree, preparing to step inside.

Toshiro paused as he heard a whistle, his ears twitching to pinpoint the sound.

"What?" Sora asked as he looked back, noticing his friend's alert posture.

"I heard a whistle." Toshiro frowned.

"I didn't." Donald said. "Must be a dog whistle, someone's trying to call you over."

"Hmph, I'm not a dog." Now frustrated, Toshiro followed after them into the dark woods of Halloween Town.

The tracks were harder to see, not as visible in the dark earth of the forest, also shrouded in darkness with little moonlight filtering through the trees. The tracks weren't needed now, however, as Toshiro could follow traces of their Spiritual Pressure, partly by scent.

The trail led them back to the graveyard before turning sharply to a gate that Jack said led to the pumpkin patch, a place he liked to think. With the large amount of dark Spiritual Pressure waiting for them they knew it would soon become a battle-ground.

The whistle sounded again.

"Dammit, leave me alone." Toshiro growled, covering his ears.

"Maybe someone's calling for help." Jack offered. "When I need the werewolves I whistle too."

"Then those werewolves can help whoever it is, I'm busy."

"What if it's one only you can hear?" Sora cut in. "I wouldn't put it past someone."

"Then in that case it's someone who wants me alone and I'm not going to give them that." The whistle sounded off once more, this time urgently. The Reaper growled, resisting the urge to check it out. Someone was trying to lure him away and it was beginning to annoy him.

"Let's go catch those three before they escape." Donald quacked, not having noticed what was going on and marching quickly through the gates.

They headed in quickly. Just before he could go through, though, Toshiro heard the whistle yet again and this time he headed towards it, wanting to find who it was and tell them to knock it off. If it was an enemy all the better, it would be something to take his anger out on.

The sound led him away from the pumpkin patch and back into the forest, away from the doors leading to other towns. He could still sense Sora and the others, though faintly due to the distance, as they fought a Heartless.

"So this is the pup you want?" A cocky toned voice sounded off, something large stepping out from the trees and bringing his attention to the witch also standing there, shrouded in darkness. "Doesn't look like much."

Toshiro growled, ears flat.

"Trust me, Oogie Boogie, this is no mere child." Maleficent corrected with a smirk, gaze focused on the Reaper as he drew his blade. "You're not a very good listener, Hitsugaya. I had to call you several times."

"I'm not some stray dog that will do what you say." Toshiro spat back, unhappy and irritated.

"Of course not." The witch chuckled.

She turned to her large companion, which literally seemed no more than a sack of bugs with a face. He was sitting on the ground out cold.

"Hm, it seems he needs more time to recover." Maleficent sighed. "Be a good boy, Hitsugaya, and stay alive until I have your powers for my own."

"Fat chance." The air grew frigid.

Frowning, the witch quickly left, taking the sack of bugs called Oogie Boogie with her.

"Coward." Toshiro turned from the forest and headed back quickly to the pumpkin patch with Flash Step, more than a little irritated with Maleficent's continuous attempts at controlling him.

"Oh?" The lingering voice of the witch made him pause, now at the edge of the forest. "What does that make you?"

"What are you talking about?" Toshiro snapped.

"The darkness yet grows, Soul Reaper. How do you know the Soul Society won't destroy you? When you open the path my Heartless will swarm your world. And who will they blame it on?"

"Keep trying, the Thirteen Court Guard Squads won't fall prey to simple creatures of shadow."

The witch chuckled.

"But who will take the blame for their arrival?"

"I know what you're trying to do, witch, so you best find yourself another victim." Toshiro kept his guard up for the slightest sign of the bodiless witch.

"Such courage."

His fur bristled, warning him of danger, but the witch already had her talon-like fingers at the back of the neck. Toshiro knew what that did to dogs and wolves alike, and sure enough, he felt himself go limp in her grasp. As long as her hand stayed there he was at her mercy, making him VERY nervous.

"Feeling dizzy?" The witch smirked, her hand staying firmly in place.

Though he was indeed feeling a little put out, he managed a snarl.

"Not very nice of you." She pinched harder and he winced; damn that hurt a lot. "I told you to be good now, Hitsugaya."

"You're still a coward." He spat out, still able to speak, though it took effort. "Immobilizing me so you don't have to face the bite of my blade."

"And you're a coward for not listening." Maleficent hissed, leaning down by his ear. "The darkness in your heart will only grow, Reaper, and it won't be long before you come running right to me like the obedient puppy you are, wanting to control it." She smirked as she petted his head with her other hand and he snarled at her. "In due time, Hitsugaya, that power of yours will be under my command, whether as you are now or as my Heartless!"

The hand vanished, as did she, but he still attempted to cut her down, only passing through emerald flame.

"Dammit!" He growled out.

'_**Calm down Master.**_' Hyorinmaru rumbled. '_**This form is affecting your actions, try to think clearly.**_'

Still growling, Toshiro closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down. It took some effort to push down the wild instincts attempting to push to the surface, to control his actions, his emotions, but he locked it away. With a deep breath he became calm once more.

'_That was close…_' He opened his eyes. '_She was provoking me on purpose…I can't let her get to me like that._'

'_**This werewolf form is causing you to be more feral.**_' The ice dragon warned.

'_I need to control it better._' Toshiro once more made his way back to where the others were finishing off the Heartless. '_Don't let me lose, Hyorinmaru._'

'_**I won't.**_'

* * *

**So Maleficent found Shiro's new weakness as a wolf and is using it to her advantage. Uh-oh. Enjoy!**


	61. Halloween Town: Oogie Boogie Time

Toshiro arrived to the pumpkin patch in time to see a large mechanical Heartless with a bird cage attached to it spitting out on of the three mischief makers back into said cage. Sora leaped up while using his newest form, Wisdom Form, to propel upward and fire a barrage of magic bolts at the Heartless, Jack striking with magic while Goofy twirled and threw his shield like a boomerang. Overall they were doing well, but he wondered why the Heartless had been forced to spit out the child. Had Maleficent decided they were no use any more?

Before he leaped into the fray, as his inner wolf wished to do, he paused and studied the scenario. The children didn't seem frightened at all despite being trapped in the cage of the Heartless. In fact, they were laughing evilly, demanding their 'captor' kill off the fighters quickly and spectacularly, foul language not fit for such tiny figures. So the cage wasn't imprisoning them, it was protecting them. So then, why eat the children? If he could place names to faces as well as he thought he could, the Heartless had spat out the short fat one, Barrel.

Something like that could only be learned through battle, no doubt, so he shifted his grip on his sword and Flash Stepped to stand among the group.

"What's happening?" He questioned Goofy, as he knew the dog was more observant than he looked, especially during a battle when he was needed to defend.

"That Heartless is using the kid's powers." Goofy reported. "It puts them in its mouth and changes how it fights."

"So that's why it spit the kid out." Toshiro said more to himself. "Can we cut loose the chain?"

"Sora tried, it's got magic on it to protect it."

"The hard way it is." He sighed. "I'll think of something that will avoid hurting those three."

"Be careful!"

The Reaper let his Spiritual Pressure out in a controlled burst, catching the attention of the Heartless which had been about to knock Sora out of the air despite his acrobatic movements using his Wisdom Form. It turned its golden eyes towards him.

"Oh! That one!" The witch pointed at the white wolf. "Get him! Get him!"

'_Maleficent's orders, most likely._' Toshiro grumbled mentally, lifting up his blade to fight.

With the Heartless focused on him Sora was able to switch out of his Drive Form and return to the group with Donald, ready for whatever the Reaper had planned to do.

"It's already eaten all three of them each." Sora panted a little, having used a lot of energy with his Wisdom Form.

"Then its next stop will be to eat all of them at once." Toshiro theorized.

Sure enough, with the prodding of the three brats and its own need to match the power wafting off the Reaper, the creature reached its long arms down to the cage, grabbing onto it with spindly metal fingers and lifting it to its mouth. The three inside jumped right into the open mouth with a gleeful cry of malice and the cage dropped back down.

The creature spasmed, absorbing the powers of all three mischief makers and beginning to light up in a familiar emerald green light, fire beginning to spread along its body. The five down below waiting for it to stop grimaced at the sight, not really wanting to get close.

With a shrieking call at launched at them with claws cloaked in dark energy.

"Move!" Toshiro ordered, though it was not really needed as the others dodged out of the way. They immediately focused back on the creature so as to not be caught off guard.

Lifting into the air the Heartless began to spin, shooting out energy bolts that looked like they would be a hard hit, blocked or not. Sora moved to stand underneath it as it did so, prompting Toshiro to do the same.

"This was one of Shock's moves." Sora said to the Reaper beside him. "Just stay underneath and hit it from below."

"Nice observation." Toshiro tensed to jump up.

He and the Keybearer both lifted into the sky, the Heartless still turning. As the arm came near, Toshiro swung towards it, his blade clashing with the metal and leaving a gash but not cutting through as darkness prevented further wounding. It stopped its turning, though, and caused it to let out a shriek, the children nowhere in sight in its mouth.

Narrowing his eyes, Toshiro forced ice to spread across the arm his zanpaktou held contact with. The metal cracked and groaned as it turned shiny with frost and constricted under the chill.

It pulled its arm away from the threat only for a Thunder spell cast by Donald to smash into the icy-blue appendage, shattering it quickly. The now one-armed Heartless clawed at the closest threat; Toshiro. Quick reflexes lifted Hyorinmaru fast enough to save the Reaper from what could have been a fatal wound but shoved him roughly to the ground. He barely had time to twist through the air and land on his feet, ending up falling over anyway. Well, he wasn't a cat, but that could have been a little more graceful.

The Heartless spasmed again and lifted its arms above its head, fire forming in an unstable sphere there to be thrown down upon them.

Bringing the chain-blade to him, Toshiro threw it forward and caught the Heartless around the neck. Ice spread quickly over it but he prevented it from covering the mouth. If they could get the children out it would lose a good portion of its strength.

Sora, ever quicker to catch onto what Toshiro was planning, used the creature's body to climb up to the mouth, unaffected by the ice as he was a friendly unit to Hyorinmaru's power. Once there, Sora used the Keyblade to cut through the hinges of the mouth.

Out tumbled the three trouble makers, quickly snatched by Jack and carried to the edge of the battlefield to be scolded by the Pumpkin King.

But the Heartless was not about to let it end there, shaking violently.

"Whoa!" Sora fell off the head and back to the ground with a thud, ice showering him as it broke off of the creature. "Brr, that's cold!" He quickly moved away to get away from the snowing; he didn't have the warming spell on currently.

The Heartless was still wrapped in the silver chain and controlled by the Ice Captain. Even with the ice broken off, the chain-blade remained firmly planted and with a single tug, Toshiro brought the creature closer, cutting it across the front and sending it crashing into the curling hill in the center, the chain removing itself.

With a loud yell, Sora dashed forward with his near-Flash-Step and delivered the killing blow, the large heart floating into the sky as the creature dissolved away into darkness. Toshiro scowled up at the escaping heart; he should have given Sora Frozen Heavens.

"That was fun!" Lock hissed gleefully, Barrel laughing hysterically beside him.

"Let's see if Mr. Oogie is ready!" Shock added with a giggle, turning and darting away with her companions before Jack could latch back onto them.

"Oogie!?" Jack seemed startled by the name. Toshiro remembered that being the first name to that sack of bugs creature with Maleficent in the forest.

"Isn't he the one who tried to take over Halloween Town before?" Sora questioned, confused.

"Yes." Jack spoke gravely. "Well fellows, prepare for a lot of trouble."

"I think we have enough." Toshiro sighed and the others nodded their agreement. "I think I saw him with Maleficent in the forest; she'd been the one whistling."

"Oh great." Sora groaned. "So Maleficent brought him back."

"Apparently." They wasted no more time and started heading after the escaped brats, knowing they would lead the group right to Oogie Boogie. '_Perhaps I should tell them about what Maleficent wanted._'

'_**It will only bring them distress.**_' Hyorinmaru rumbled. '_**Better to get rid of this insect bag with them then have them distracted with watching out for you. I will not let you become a Heartless.**_'

Agreeing, he followed the others in silence, enhanced senses on alert for more distractions of the sinister kind. Maleficent knew how to handle a canine, proven by how she handled him, and he didn't really want her catching him by the scruff again. That had been the most unpleasant sensation, as if someone had cast Geki on him while sending an electric shock through his body to paralyze him, and those nails of the witch's hadn't made it any better.

They were stopped upon exit by Sally, the doll distressed about something and coming from the direction of the forest.

"Jack!" She called out between pants. "Oogie Boogie has kidnapped Santa Claus!"

"Huh!?" Sora gasped.

"He's headed for Christmas Town!" She looked at Toshiro. "And he said he hopes to see you there first…"

"The Reaper?" Jack looked at Toshiro, the Captain scowling a bit at hearing that. "Oogie never liked the Reapers but he never threatened one."

"He probably doesn't realize I'm a Soul Reaper." Toshiro snorted. "Either that or he doesn't care. Maleficent seems to be planning something using him."

"Then we better put a stop to him." Sora said with determination.

"Right!" Jack agreed.

Back towards the forest they went with Sally behind them, fighting Heartless as they did so. As for the troublemakers, it seemed they were getting off easy that day, forgotten for the more important task of rescuing a holiday icon. Toshiro worried what the witch had planned for him. She knew too much for her own good, just like in Disney Castle when she'd mentioned his past actions that brought about the darkness in his heart. Home, he never would have needed to worry about such things, but here, where Heartless searched endlessly for such hearts, he was a prime target for the evil traversing the worlds. Maleficent was at the center of it all, with Organization XIII working in the shadows for their own goals.

As his thoughts strayed towards the group's plans for Kingdom Hearts, Toshiro turned to Sora. He definitely needed to use Frozen Heavens more often.

They paused before the door to Christmas Town to let the Keyblade absorb the icy power of the Reaper, the others also prepping themselves for battle before they all jumped in. Cold hit them hard, save for Toshiro, and the snow got their feet wet just like before. They didn't worry about it, however, as they moved quickly down towards the village. Black smoke rose from the workshop.

"That's Santa's house!" Donald quacked in alarm.

Concerned, they ran faster.

Any Heartless that barred their way were dealt with quickly. Wasting no time they all burst inside and followed Toshiro's lead to the packaging room where the trouble had first started, trusting his senses to lead them in the right direction. No sign of Maleficent, but that didn't mean she didn't have a plan.

They spotted Santa tied with ropes and gagged, laying upon one of the conveyer belts in the room, which had been given a darker theme, no doubt the work of Oogie Boogie.

Toshiro leapt down next to the man in red to untie him while the others tried to pinpoint the sack of bugs. Quick hands removed the gag and cut through the ropes before helping Santa onto his feet.

"Thank you, Hitsugaya." Santa let out a relieved breath.

"Don't thank me yet, get out quick." The Ice Captain demanded, turning his attention to his surroundings again, on alert.

Not needing to be told twice Santa ran for it over to Sally who stood waiting in the shadows, having been knocked down roughly by Oogie as the sack of bugs rushed over to the edge, glaring down with black eyes at the Ice Captain that had stolen his prey. Calmly, Toshiro glared back, waiting for any kind of trick or trap.

"Oogie!" Jack shouted angrily and for a moment Oogie tensed up in fear before grinning madly and jumping over to the machine at the end of the conveyer belt that Toshiro stood on.

"Haha! This Reaper pup is mine!" He shouted joyously, ignoring the others as they rushed down the ramp to help Toshiro, said Reaper standing calmly with his zanpaktou held up before him.

The sack of bugs pushed a button atop the machine and it whirred to life. Barriers went up around the sides, preventing the boy's escape as well as barring the others from entry. The belt began to move and thick spikes appeared at the end upon the machine Oogie was standing on, threatening to run Toshiro through had he not thought to Flash Step to the farthest point away, towards the tunnels that connected it to the other two.

"Oh no!" Jack looked startled by this, Sora trying to get through the barrier.

Laughing sinisterly, Oogie walked on the other side and into one of the tunnels. With an irritated quack, Donald followed after him with Jack, attempting to follow. Sora and Goofy got on the other ones in case he went around. But the sack of bugs did not come out. Instead, a platform lowered down and, with another evil laugh, used one of his 'arms' to turn the entirety of the machine on, the separated groups now all on conveyer belts that inched towards death, Oogie's platform hovering at the end of Donald and Jack's.

"Just great." Toshiro growled, feeling his fur bristle again as the wildness of the werewolf showed through.

"I've got something special for you, Reaper!" Oogie laughed, pressing another button.

The tunnel at the end of Toshiro's path lit up in a green light instead of the blue or red seen previously and he tensed, prepared for whatever it was that would be coming towards him. Maleficent surely had something planned that would attack his canine weaknesses. He glanced back warily as he was still inching towards the spikes at the end. If he could just stop the conveyer belt from moving…

Something shot out from the tunnel and he focused forward again, Flash Stepping up to avoid it. It was alive, as he could sense its Spiritual Pressure, but it was unlike anything he'd seen before. It wasn't a Heartless or a Nobody, that much he knew for certain, so what was this strange creature glaring up at him with blood red eyes? It moved like a wounded animal, body covered in black shadows that hid its form. A horrid noise came from within that made the Captain shiver involuntarily.

Toshiro landed and tapped the tip of his blade, covering it in ice and preventing it from moving. The machine whirred loudly before giving out with a cough, unable to move any longer even if the ice melted. The creature took no notice, tensing for another charge.

'_What's so special about this creature?_' Toshiro frowned, sword up and at the ready. '_Oogie seems certain it can take me down._'

Oogie's sinister laugh seemed to echo around him for a moment, distracting him, playing tricks on his mind. The creature seemed to solidify, looking more human. At the same time, he felt weaker, as if the being before him was stealing away his energy.

He snapped to alertness as that thought entered his mind. It was sapping his strength! Some kind of creature that fed on souls, and he was a soul, one without a Gigai to hinder it and, in this case, protect it. He couldn't let it get close.

With a growl it charged forwards again, forepaws reaching out with wicked talons to catch him, darkness swarming forwards, hungry for the shadows attached to the Reaper's heart. The others watched the creature converge on their friend. Oogie laughed happily.

A sharp increase in Spiritual Pressure brought them all to their knees, shattering Oogie Boogie's platform, coating the entire workshop in frost and spikes of ice, breaking the machine. The shadow creature moved to a corner, snarling viciously, black blood pouring from a wound on its side.

Panting, Toshiro held his Soul Pager loosely in one hand. He was thankful he had thought to grab it when the shadow had launched at him, the numbers already dialed in by the time they encased him. His Limiter was removed.

Which meant it was time to get serious.

* * *

**So the battle with Oogie Boogie is changed up...a lot ^^ Finish him off the next chapter then it's off to the Pride Lands! After some heart to heart talk with Santa, hehe. Enjoy!**


	62. Halloween Town: Fight the Darkness

"Why you…" Oogie snarled, glancing around him at the frozen landscape and shivering under the pressure of the Reaper's power. "This isn't over!"

He whistled and the creature of darkness launched out from the corner, coming to land beside him obediently. In response, Sora and the others stood nearby to Toshiro, the Keybearer casting a Cure as he noticed several scratches on his friend's body from the dark creature's claws. He wondered if that was all that was hurt, considering Toshiro's somewhat drained state. With the Limiter removed he looked better, though, and quickly shook aside the dizziness, prepared to fight.

"You're one bad dog." Oogie huffed.

"I'm not a dog." Toshiro snapped back. "I pity yours, though."

The creature didn't respond to his words, just waited for another order. Perhaps it was a Heartless…it didn't much feel like one.

"Hmph. Try this!" Oogie gestured towards them and the animal of shadow snarled.

It went straight for Toshiro, the others darting to the side to avoid getting hit while Toshiro stopped its fangs with his blade, pushing it aside.

"Sora, you can the others take care of this sack of bugs." Toshiro ordered before charging at the creature this time, not wanting to let it get up.

The Keybearer twirled Frozen Heavens in hand and glared at Oogie Boogie, his other three companions at his side quickly to fight. Realizing he was cornered, Oogie backed away. His machine was broken, his hound busy with the Soul Reaper, and Maleficent run off to who knows where after he'd managed to shoo her away with insults. He remembered her words, mocking him that he'd regret not having her help.

He hated how she was right.

Then he remembered; he still had a trick up his sleeve. Something they wouldn't expect, something that could give him an edge. Yes, it could work. Grinning once more he dashed into the tunnel.

"Not this again." Donald grumbled, chasing after him.

Something very high-pitched sounded off as whatever Oogie was doing caused the noise to echo. To most it was just an annoying pitch. However, they had someone in their midst with sensitive hearing.

Toshiro yelped and attempted to cover his ears from the deafening noise that made his head ache terribly. His opponent used this moment of weakness to pounce him and knock him over, Hyorinmaru clattering to the ground and a few inches away where his master could not reach. Fangs inched closer to Toshiro's neck, draining away the Spirit Energy within.

For a brief moment Hitsugaya lost control of the wolf and lashed out with claws. He felt flesh give way and heard the whine of the creature. Weight lifted off of him as it stumbled away, blinded, and he scrambled to his feet, glaring fiercely at it, hunched over like a wolf ready to strike. Blood dripped from the hand he'd used to attack, making him all the more intimidating.

"Heh, that was interesting." Oogie mused as he watched the showdown. "Oh well!"

Laughing gleefully, the sack of bugs revealed his secret weapon. Turns out the machine wasn't completely broken, able to crank out multiple Heartless that swarmed upon Sora and the others. They had not expected it to do such a thing but were quick to turn their attention to the Heartless. Magic flew and ice slashed, trying to do away with the dark beings while heading for Oogie. It was chaos in the factory.

Though it took some effort, Toshiro forced down the feral instincts telling him to bite and claw and dove for his blade. Just in time, too, as his opponent launched forward towards the sound of movement on the ice, jaws wide. Metal bit deep into its shadowy form as Toshiro attacked from behind to take advantage of its blindness. The noise from before had caught him off guard and he would not be weakened like that again. Not only was he in danger of being devoured, he was in danger of losing to the werewolf side of him.

The creature spun and latched onto the sword with blackened teeth, snarling victoriously at catching its prey, only to find ice spreading up its head from where it held contact with the blade. Jaws frozen in place, it could not retreat, but likewise Toshiro could not use his sword. He had to shift his position and slide it out from between the teeth, wincing at the sound made as metal slid against sharp bone. It was almost as bad as the earlier high-pitched noise Oogie had made when starting up his machine.

Further away, Sora glanced at the Reaper and wondered why it was so hard for him to fight it without the Limiter. Then he remembered; in close quarters Toshiro couldn't release Hyorinmaru to its full power – or what he thought was full power as he knew nothing of Bankai – and so was at a disadvantage. Plus, the dark creature seemed to be feeding energy off of him.

A Heartless got too close to comfort and Sora had to focus back on getting to Oogie. If they destroyed him they could stop the machine. Or maybe he could stop the machine right now. Hopefully his idea worked because he used up pretty much all his energy with this attack.

Striking down the Heartless near him he dashed towards the tunnels, holding his blade point forward.

"Sora!" Goofy called out in panic, wondering why his friend was charging in headfirst to where the Heartless came from.

"That's dangerous!" Donald shouted.

Blocking the creature's strike and pushing him away, Toshiro glanced over to see what was going on. He recognized Sora's pose instantly and gave a slight smirk, turning back to his opponent. He couldn't waste any more time on this creature or it would sap away all his energy, which was quite a bit without the Limiter on. He spun the chain-blade in hand and prepared to use it.

"_Dragon Hail Flower!_" Sora shouted and stabbed the Keyblade deep into the machine.

Ice ran its course throughout the inside, crushing each and every piece until reaching the surface, making it look like a porcupine. Sora cringed a bit, knowing they'd have to find a way to fix the machine for Santa later, but it at least stopped making Heartless.

At the same time, Toshiro snared his opponent in the chain-blade and quickly froze it solid. It had taken more energy than expected as the beast tried to absorb the power before it was consumed by frost. In the end Toshiro won out, though he was a little tired, and the beast shattered.

"Curses!" Oogie shouted as all his pieces fell to shards of ice. "Since when could the Key-brat do that?!"

"Since I showed up." Toshiro spat back, still frustrated with the sack of bugs for all the trouble caused.

The bug bag growled, thinking quickly about how to escape the current situation.

Hitsugaya didn't give him the time, once more using the chain to wrap his enemy in metal and ice. Oogie gave a howl of pain as all the bugs in him died in the cold before all of him was frozen away in an ice block.

"Well, that should be the last of him." Jack said, brushing his hands together to get some stray frost off his bones. He was starting to feel a little creaky.

"It better be." Toshiro sighed, tugging hard on the chain and shattering their enemy just like his hound. "He was annoying enough already."

He replaced the Limiter, the room quickly beginning to warm again, the ice breaking away at its creator's command. The machine still lay broken, which caused great concern for the elves as they came inside, told the danger had passed. Feeling guilty, Sora offered his help to repair it, dragging the others in with him. The elves actually refused their help, though, saying it was easier to fix than it looked, and Oogie had messed it up to begin with anyway. It would have taken longer to move everything back around than it would be to just rebuild.

The group headed outside into the snow, glad the battle was over.

"Well, Christmas is safe again." Sora stretched his arms up before placing them behind his head.

"Perfect!" Jack beamed, stepping past them. "I'd better get down to business."

"Leave that to Santa!" Donald huffed, knowing full well what the skeleton was planning.

"I agree, you're not really suited for Christmas." Toshiro added on.

Jack paused but didn't seem to be listening, his back to them as he became lost in thought.

"Jack?"

Turning, Jack saw Sally approach from inside with something folded neatly in her hands. She cautiously held it out for him and his smile widened, stretching to each side of his head.

"Here. It's done." Sally told him, sounding slightly sad about it.

"Wonderful!" Jack cheered excitedly, arms going up. "Why, I love it! Thank you, Sally!"

He took the clothing off her hands and proceeded to slip it on over his other suit. Interest suddenly perked, Toshiro looked at the costume, a strange scent coming off of it that was familiar. Moving away from wolf instincts to that of his normal senses, he realized this was their next key item. His tail drooped as he realized it was not one of the ones needed to return home. Well, at least they could move on. The item had to be somewhere.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Jack?" Sally questioned, concerned.

"But I make a splendid Sandy Claws!" "Jack replied, not hearing Toshiro give a disbelieving snort.

"Listen here, Jack Skellington." Santa called out, stepping outside with them. "You saved me and Christmas as well, and for that I am very grateful." He cleared his throat. "But please promise you won't cause any more trouble! And about that suit…"

Jack, having finished putting on the red suit with white fluff around the edges, complete with fake beard and the red cap, spun and struck a pose, an excited grin on his face.

"Don't even think about taking over for me again." Santa ordered, looking both amused and upset by Jack's costume.

"I just thought you could use a little help this year Mr. Claws." Jack assured.

"Skellington, while I'm sure the help is appreciated, he's done this for many years without it." Toshiro cut in with a sigh. "The holiday you represent and the holiday Santa represents are two completely different things, they don't mix well."

"Precisely." Santa nodded. "Being Santa Claus can be very tiring, but let me tell you something, Jack. Seeing the happy faces of little children when they see the presents I've brought them makes it worthwhile in the end year after year after year." He gave a happy sigh before turning back to the skeleton. "You, Jack, love to make them gasp and see them shiver with fright. What if someone tried to take all that away from you?"

Thinking this over, Jack realized the man was right and frowned, scratching his cheek bone nervously. Sora, Toshiro and the others watched the two holiday icons talk it out quietly.

"We both have very important jobs to do, Jack." Santa went on kindly. Mine is to take care of Christmas, and yours is to take care of Halloween. So we each have to do the very best we can. After all, you're the face of Halloween – Jack Skellington! The Pumpkin King! The Knight of Nightmares!"

This seemed to bring up Jack's spirits, that toothy grin spreading again as he listened to Santa eagerly.

"Even though you're fascinated with Christmas, Jack, Halloween is your true specialty." Santa grinned. "Don't you see? The Children rely on both of us to do our jobs. Halloween needs your attention…and Christmas needs mine! Urgently!" Now finished, Santa turned to head back inside, as there was much to be done with their machine currently broken.

The gang turned to Jack, wondering how he would react to that little speech. Surprisingly, Jack seemed excited, and they hoped it wasn't because he had ideas for Christmas.

"You're right!" Jack said and Santa paused, turning back. "I am the master of terror! And if Halloween has become too routine, all I have to do is think of something new that'll really make 'em scream!"

"Much better." Toshiro nodded and Sora laughed.

"Jack!" They heard a familiar voice shout, the short mayor running towards them with scrolls in hand. "Oh, Jack!"

The short man came running up to them, stopping a few feet away from the very tall skeleton.

"I've been looking everywhere for you!" The monster panted. "We need to go over the plans for next Halloween! I can't do a thing without your approval!"

"So true." Jack nodded, making his way back to the tree portal, the mayor dogging his steps closely.

The group watched them walk away, Skellington talking animatedly with big arm movements to emphasize his point, though they couldn't hear what was being said. Toshiro managed to catch something and grimaced, deciding he would stay away from the Living World for Halloween next year. When it came to scary, Jack definitely knew what he was talking about, and even he couldn't deny that what was being planned was quite terrifying.

"Captain Hitsugaya, a word if you would." Santa gestured for the Reaper to come inside with him. "I still have things to do, so pardon if I seem distracted."

"That's alright." The werewolf followed the man in red inside, shrugging at Sora's confused glance.

As he stepped inside, Toshiro could sense the key item give off a burst of power, meaning Sora would be opening the next pathway soon. In the meantime, he focused on the Christmas icon before him as he sat down and grabbed his list.

"I noticed you still have a Limiter on you, and in some of your battles that has become a problem." Santa mused, simultaneously checking through his list.

"Yes." Toshiro nodded. "I can remove it, but only if I have access to my Soul Pager and enough time to dial the code. I was lucky enough in the last battle to have put in the code before-hand, but I won't always be so lucky."

"Indeed." Santa glanced up at him for a moment with a concerned glance. "I think, even though you find yourself too old for presents, you could use this."

A small box wrapped in white paper with an ice-blue bow was handed to Hitsugaya. He took it with some hesitation, wondering what the old man was planning.

"I haven't been in contact with Soul Reapers for a long time, but I still remember quite a bit about them." Santa chuckled. "And though I did not know of you until you arrived in Twilight Town, I feel I know you well enough to say this confidently; you are not a bad person."

Toshiro stiffened and gave the man a long, hard stare.

"Hear me out, Hitsugaya." Santa put his list down and faced the confused Captain fully, completely serious. "I understand you've had several run-ins with masters of the dark that continue to try and control you. They tell you things that you don't understand how they know, yes?"

"You're doing it too." Toshiro snapped.

"Yes, but I'm Santa Claus." Santa chuckled, unfazed by Toshiro's hostility. "And I don't want to hurt you. On the contrary, I hope what I say will help you fight them mentally. Yes, you are quick to anger and rather cold towards strangers, but I can see the reasons underlying it, your fear."

"I'm not-" Toshiro argued but was cut off as the man in red lifted a hand.

"You are afraid, Hitsugaya. You're afraid of having everything you care for ripped away from you, as it almost has been several times, and as it has been before." Teal eyes turned downwards, his stance uncomfortable. "But know this, Hitsugaya, how you responded to what happened was not an act of darkness, it was the act of someone defending the people they cared about, the act of a guardian."

Curious, Toshiro looked back up at him, ears perked forward to listen, a gesture that gave him a childish appearance, more so than usual.

"You cannot help but have darkness in your heart, Hitsugaya." Santa said gravely. "All Soul Reapers have their fair share of it. It comes with what you do. You have said so before, haven't you? That your kind of profession is not one for the too kind of heart. Soul Reapers are trained to kill, and for one such as you, someone of high ranking, there is much loss along the way. This does not make you a bad person." Santa put a hand over the Reaper's in comfort. "Remember that, Toshiro."

Still a little awe struck, Toshiro just nodded and the man smiled, returning to his list. Seeing as that was all, Toshiro looked at the present in his hands.

"Go on and open it." Santa chuckled, not looking up from his paper.

Scowling slightly, Toshiro easily removed the paper and opened the box to see what it was Santa had decided to gift him. Inside was a strange orb that gave off a light blue glow, glowing brighter as he reached in to pick it up. He held the orb in hand and set the empty box aside, looking at the gift curiously.

"What is it?" He asked, looking back at Santa.

"Give it a moment." The man grinned, eyes twinkling mischievously.

Suddenly, the orb lit up brightly, startling the Soul Reaper. Its physical form dispersed, leaving only a floating sphere of light upon his palm. As he watched, it sank down into his hand, the light running through his skin up towards his chest, causing the mark of the Limiter to flash for a brief moment. Instantly on alert, Toshiro bristled and glared at the man sitting before him.

"What happened?" He snapped.

"Calm down, I mean no harm." Santa assured. "I understand you're nervous. What that did was bypass needing to put in the code on your pager all the time. All you have to do now is say 'Limiter Release' and you're good! But be careful, after you use this method, you have to wait several hours after sealing it again before you can use it. Be careful."

"I see." Toshiro calmed himself. "Thank you very much, this will be a big help."

"That was the point." Santa smiled kindly. "Now, off you go! Sora and the others are waiting for you!" The Reaper turned to leave. "Oh, wait!" Toshiro paused; there was something else? "Tell Sora to give Riku my very best wishes. Riku was the one who first told Sora that I didn't exist."

"Hmph, alright." Amused, Toshiro headed back out and joined up with his group.

They were interested in what Santa had to say to Toshiro, but the Reaper told them nothing save for the very last bit, Sora reeling back in shock as it was said.

"Does he know where to find Riku!?" Sora pleaded, looking ready to run right back into the workshop.

"No." Toshiro latched onto the boy's collar before he could run in and started heading away from the village. "But I'm sure we'll run into your friend. You found Santa Claus, you can find Riku."

Sora looked curiously at his canine friend. There seemed to be something different about him, a lighter tone, a weight off his shoulders. There was an overall sense of relief in the Soul Reaper that hadn't been there previously. The Keybearer was even more curious now as to what the holiday icon had said but knew not to push it. He would tell in his own time, they just had to give him some space to do so. They had learned that pushing him too far only resulted in a bad cold.

Smiling, Sora fell in step with the Reaper.

"Thanks, Toshiro." Sora said.

Shrugging, the werewolf kept walking. No reprimand…interesting.

"Before we go…" Sora grinned evilly now and Toshiro tensed; now what?

The boy's hand shot forward and caught him right behind the ear, scratching that one spot that every canine absolutely loved. The reaction was immediate, teal eyes closing as he leaned towards the hand for more, a smile on his face. His tail wagged happily. Donald and Goofy snickered behind their hands; it was so cute!

"Good boy!" Sora giggled, still scratching.

That icy gaze snapped open and turned on him in a fierce glare, pulling away from his hand as if he'd been bit.

"I'm not a dog!" He snarled, a blush of embarrassment on his cheeks. "Stop laughing, it's not funny!"

"But it's so cute!" Sora argued between laughs.

"Shut up! I'll freeze you next!"

"Okay, Sora, that's enough." Donald patted said boy's leg, though they could tell he was still grinning. "We've gotta get moving.

"Okay." The Keybearer's shoulder slumped. "Hey, maybe next time we can play fetch!"

"NO!"

Sighing, Donald teleported them back to the ship where they were normal once more, meaning if Sora attempted to pet him again he'd lose his hand to frostbite. Time to move on.

"What's next?" Goofy asked since Sora was still giggling and Toshiro was fuming in the back.

"Pride Lands." Donald answered, taking over steering and heading in that direction. "Let's see if that item we need is here."

Getting over his laughter at Toshiro's expense, Sora drove on towards their next world, a savannah land that looked a lot like another world of animals.

Seeing this, Toshiro grumbled to himself. He had absolutely no doubt he was about to be changed into something else again and was not looking forward to it. Especially if it was another dog.

* * *

**To the Pride Lands! I bet Toshiro makes a cute lion XD Enjoy!**


	63. Pride Lands: Hyenas, Lions and Dragons!

When they arrived in the new world, Toshiro's hunch was proven correct. They were all animals. Sora and Toshiro were both lions, Sora being a small brown colored cub with a spiky mane, white toes and underbelly and his crown necklace still around his neck. Toshiro was a pure white lion and was actually bigger than Sora, most likely due to his age, but still a cub, with his squad symbol and number now hanging on a little pendant attached to a small green scarf around his neck. His mane wasn't as spiky as Sora's but it was thicker than a normal lion cub's, his scar stretching over his shoulder, across his side, and down his back leg to the underside. Definitely not pretty to look at.

As for Donald and Goofy, they were also a little different, though Goofy was a lot different. Donald was a bird better suited to the savannah, with bigger wings and his staff held in his talons, a long tail with curled feathers tipped in blue. Goofy was a tortoise with a bright yellow shell and short black feet. Why was he always a turtle of some sort?

"Hey, check us out." Sora said, excited. He looked over his form before looking at Toshiro. "Whoa, you're bigger than me!"

"I'm older." Toshiro shot back. "For lions, that would mean I'm bigger."

"So not cool." Sora huffed.

Rolling his eyes, Toshiro turned to his more immediate problem. He could not use Hyorinmaru like this. Actually, his sword seemed to be missing. He shot to his feet, teal eyes panning the landscape for his blade. They were in a canyon of sorts with small geysers here and there, a place not meant for cubs. Bones littered the edges and there was an overall air of death around them. Not a sword in sight.

"Where's Hyorinmaru?" Toshiro snapped.

"Your sword?" Sora realized there was indeed no sword laid out on the Captain's back. "Uh-oh."

Toshiro turned to see what Sora was looking at, spotting hyenas inching towards them. The four of them tensed and made a tight circle as the dogs approached with hungry grins and evil intentions. He could feel Donald and Goofy shudder nervously, hear Sora growl at them, a growl of his own forming in the back of his throat. Without Hyorinmaru he felt a bit defenseless, even if he couldn't use the blade in this form anyway.

'_**I'm still here.**_' Hyorinmaru's voice rumbled, but it was disturbingly faint.

The voice calmed him a bit, allowing him to face off the approaching animals with a calm air. One of the dogs laughed, tongue hanging out and eyes a bit wild.

"Heartless?" Sora hissed under his breath.

"Hyenas." Toshiro replied.

"I kinda get the feeling they live here." Goofy gulped, nervous.

"Don't mind us." Donald spoke to the hyenas nervously. "Just passing through. We won't be any trouble."

"Yeah, that's right." Sora nodded, holding his head high.

The crazy hyena laughed again, two others coming closer, a male and a female. While his companions either shivered or growled, Toshiro held firm, glaring down the female as she passed him.

"Don't be silly." She practically purred, if hyenas were capable of such things. "We'd love you to stick around for lunch."

"I'm afraid we have other appointments." The Ice Captain replied easily.

"Ooh, check this cub out." The male came over to the female. "Thinks he's so high and mighty."

'_**Hold them there.**_' Hyorinmaru ordered. Unsure what the dragon was planning, his master stayed put and continued stalling the hyenas from making them lunch.

"What, you a little lion prince, too?" The female teased, stepping closer to the white lion. "We've had enough of them."

She saw the white cub bristle at being called small and heard him growl, a deep growl that wasn't normal for a cub. It actually frightened her a bit and she took a few steps back. This white lion really freaked her out.

"Get lost, mutts." Toshiro snapped. "We have no intention to fight; we just wish to pass through. But if you so wish, I will not hesitate to defend myself."

"Ha! He kills me!" The male rolled over laughing.

"I'm about to." Toshiro bent low, ready to pounce, and they felt the air grow cold. The dogs shivered and backed away.

"That's right!" Sora roared. "We'll fight if we have to!"

Hyenas shared glances. Donald and Goofy gulped and shuddered, worried what would happen now. Sure Toshiro was menacing enough to maybe scare them off, but he didn't know how to fight like a lion. If the hyenas decided to attack anyway, they'd be in trouble.

"Alright then, let's see what the kitties have got." The male stalked towards them, singling out Sora while the female made her way cautiously towards Toshiro.

"Gawrsh, Sora." Goofy gulped as two hyenas approached him and Donald. "I think WE'RE the lunch."

Quacking loudly, Donald made a break for it, startling the hyenas. The other two did as well while Toshiro held his ground before the female. His zanpaktou had something planned, he wasn't about to mess it up. If the hyena charged he would just move aside. That shouldn't be too terribly hard on four legs. Thanks to his werewolf form he had a little bit of a feel for it already.

"Here, kitty, kitty." The female growled, fangs bared. Toshiro bared his own and stepped towards her, pausing her approach as she tensed.

To the side he saw Donald and Goofy pinned against a wall. His ear twitched as he heard Sora trip over his legs, unable to process yet how to move in them. The male laughed.

"Going somewhere?"

'_Hyorinmaru!_' Toshiro called for the dragon, wondering why he hadn't done anything.

As if in answer a harsh breeze picked up, chilling the hyenas down to the bone and startling them. It felt like the approach of winter, and it was summer! The source of it swirled around the white lion in the center.

"I told you we would fight back." The strange cub told them calmly, unaffected by the freezing winds brushing against his fur.

"Whoa, this is freaky." The male backed away from Sora, who clumsily stood back on his feet and moved to Toshiro's side.

A roar rebounded around them, amplified in the winds. The hyenas tensed.

"Nice timing, Scar." The female gulped. "Let's go."

With loud yips and scratching of claws the group of hyenas rushed off, led by the male, the female and the crazy hyena. They weren't sure who Scar was, but it sounded like the roar of a lion. As to why a pack of hyenas were obeying the call of a lion, they had no idea. At least they were gone.

Now they turned their attention to the winds, which were picking up a bit despite the fact that the enemies were gone.

'_Hyorinmaru, what are you doing?_' Toshiro growled, closing his eyes as the wind stirred up dust.

There was only a rumble in reply, but it was not within his mind.

"Hey, what was that?!" Sora shouted over the wind, confirming Toshiro's thoughts.

Shock spreading across his face, Toshiro turned skywards.

A streak of light blue flashed over the top of the canyon and dove inside, stopping before the group and spreading icy wings. There before them, materialized, was the ice dragon Hyorinmaru. His icy coils curled across the ground, crimson eyes flashing in the sunlight. Now that he wasn't flapping his wings the wind finally settled down. Beside him, Sora's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped.

"Whew, the wind stopped." Donald sighed, flying over to them and looking completely unconcerned with Hyorinmaru's presence.

"You okay, Sora?" Goofy looked at the gaping lion cub with concern.

"Can you guys…not see it?" Sora spoke in a hushed tone, eyes fixated on the ice dragon.

Toshiro looked between the animals, realizing they truly couldn't see him. Why was that? Sora could see his zanpaktou, why could the animals not? He quickly ran through possible scenarios before one clicked into his mind. Just as it did so, Hyorinmaru bent his head down towards them.

"**They cannot see me because they have never used my power.**" The dragon said aloud what his master had realized, making Sora yelp and fall backwards. "**Through the Keyblade you became connected to me, therefore you can see me.**"

"O…oh." Calming down, the Keybearer stood again, never taking his eyes off the dragon for long. "So…only I can see you?"

"And me, considering he's MY zanpaktou." Toshiro cut in, walking towards the dragon with no fear whatsoever.

Hyorinmaru gave a light hum and bent his head down further to nose the white lion in a friendly manner. His master rolled his eyes but sat and put a paw on the creature's muzzle.

"Gawrsh, Sora, you can see Hyorinmaru?" Goofy asked.

"Yeah." Sora nodded vigorously. "He's right in front of us, and he's HUGE!" He lifted onto his hind paws and gestured with his forelegs to emphasize the size. "He says I can see him because I use his powers in the Keyblade."

"No fair." Donald huffed, looking towards where the ice dragon sat but seeing nothing, only Toshiro with his paw on SOMETHING that to him looked like thin air.

Smirking, Toshiro looked up at his dragon.

"You'll be a little distracting, even if only two of us can see you." He said.

Humming in agreement, Hyorinmaru lifted his head and began to glow the same icy-white as his master, his size beginning to shrink. The lions watched curiously as he continued to grow smaller, shrinking all the way down to the size of snake, wings tucked in tight. Now a more portable size, he flew over to his master and curled around his neck, head sticking up behind the white mane. Though this was new for Toshiro, it was convenient and so he didn't question it.

"Hey, now he's tiny." Sora grinned, approaching the pair and poking a paw at the frosty creature.

Hyorinmaru growled and snapped at the paw.

"Ow!" Sora pulled away quickly. "Sorry!"

"What?" Donald asked, unable to see what was happening.

"Hyorinmaru bit me." Sora pointed out the small cut on his toe and the layer of ice around it. They could see that, at least.

"Then I advise you don't pick on him." Toshiro chided, standing once more and starting to head away from the canyon. "Come on; let's see what's going on. We've got to find the item to open the paths."

"Right!" Sora recovered quickly, attempting to run off after Toshiro before tripping again. "Man, everything's harder on four legs."

Sighing, the Soul Reaper turned back and got Sora back on his feet.

"**It's not that difficult.**" Hyorinmaru snorted, voice still deep despite his size.

"Hey, you don't even have legs!" The Keybearer snapped back. The dragon just lifted his head high and gave another snort.

"Ignore him." Toshiro said to Sora, meaning Hyorinmaru. "Look, watch me. There's a trick to it."

Slowly the Keybearer figured out how to walk on four legs. Once he had that down, the other movements came easily. Goofy benefited from the lesson too, though he seemed to have a good grasp of it before that. Hyorinmaru just watched them all from his perch around Toshiro's neck, a silent guardian of ice.

"Now I just have to learn how to use this." Sora said and brought forth his Keyblade, grasping it in his mouth. It was the only way he could use it. Thankfully the magical weapon shifted its weight to be easy on the teeth. "Fis wilbe har."

"Sora, we can't understand you." Donald huffed.

The Keyblade vanished in a flash.

"I said this will be hard." The brown lion frowned. He turned to Toshiro. "I wonder how you will fight, Captain."

"**I will tear down whatever enemy needs to be killed.**" Hyorinmaru stated simply.

Sora laughed nervously, finding Hyorinmaru rather brutal. Well, he was a dragon, and dragons were very protective towards whatever it was they wanted to protect. Plus, he had similar qualities of Toshiro's personality; generally quiet but straight to the point, not to mention easy to anger. He had been told that zanpaktous were a part of a Soul Reaper's soul, so he guessed that made sense.

"I'll worry about fighting later, let's get going." Toshiro said, heading off towards the exit of the canyon. He wasn't too keen on waiting for the hyenas to come back.

The group of four, or rather five with Hyorinmaru, made their way through the passage and out into what looked like a graveyard for animals, multiple large bones that most likely came from elephants scattered among the rocks. Geysers let off steam, the sudden noises causing the two lion cubs to flinch every now and then, ears sensitive.

They spotted movement. A lioness darting away from the claws of a large blue Heartless, a creature with a large bony tail and skull, legs thick with muscles, as if it was some kind of half furry, half bony dinosaur. There were two of them, charging down the poor lioness that looked frightened but was fully prepared to put up a fight. She spat at the creatures as they got too close, lashing out with claws when she could to avoid getting eaten.

Sora wasted no time with words, darting forward with Keyblade in his mouth.

"Sora!" Donald called out, startled. Right after he saw a streak of white as Toshiro darted after him. "Guys!"

"We better help 'em!" Goofy said up at the bird, pushing off from the ground and spinning in his shell to go fast.

Groaning, Donald zoomed through the air after them all.

With the lioness, the cubs stood in front of her protectively, the Heartless pausing in their tracks to look at the newcomers. Unseen, Hyorinmaru lifted into the air and started to grow in size.

'_Not too big, we don't need a blizzard._' Toshiro warned silently. A mental rumble was his reply and the dragon stopped growing once he was the size of the Heartless they fought. They air grew chilly.

"Be careful." The lioness warned, worried for the strange cubs before her. Maternal instincts began to kick in as she tried to get in front, but the males wouldn't let her, darting forward with surprising speed head on at the creatures. A bird and a tortoise joined in from behind.

The chill increased and suddenly ice erupted from the white lion's feet.

'_It seems I can still use my power._' Toshiro mused as ice covered the claw mark he'd made across the side of one of the Heartless. '_Hyorinmaru, attack when I do, that way the lioness doesn't get too suspicious. It's bad enough I make ice where I hit, I don't need her thinking ice appears out of nowhere._'

'_**Very well, together then.**_' The dragon bared his fangs at the Heartless and darted forward.

At the same time, Toshiro leapt up and struck a blow across the skull of his opponent. Hyorinmaru slammed head on in that very spot, a wave of ice following and encasing the creature completely. Cracks spread across the surface and shattered, the ice dragon lifting back into the sky.

They turned towards the other Heartless, watching as Sora moved the Keyblade to his tail and spun through the air. The Heartless was hit hard and slammed into a wall, where Donald hit it with Thundara. Dazed, the Heartless stumbled around, trying to find a target to attack. Sora took that chance away by running underneath and striking upwards with great force. The heart float into the air as his opponent vanished.

'_Damn, I need him to use Frozen Heavens more._'

Those two Heartless seemed to be the only two, for which they were grateful. Hyorinmaru shrunk down and curled around his master's neck again as they joined up and approached the lioness, who looked both shocked and cautious. Well, she had just seen two cubs use powers of which she'd probably never seen before, not to mention Donald and Goofy.

"You okay?" Goofy asked her.

"Yes." She nodded. "Thank you for saving me."

"Did you see any other Heartless around here?" Sora questioned.

"Heartless?" She scrunched up her nose in thought. "Is that what they're called? I'm not sure if there are any others."

"That's a good thing." Toshiro assured her. She smiled.

"I don't usually hunt outside the Pride Lands." She told them.

Sora thought about something for a moment before stepping closer to her.

"Hey, do you know if a guy named Riku is there?" He asked. She shook her head. "Okay, what about anybody from some organization? Or this bully named Pete?"

She shook her head again, looking a little sympathetic as she couldn't be of any help to him. Sighing, Sora took a seat and went quiet.

"I think we could still use a look around the Pride Lands." Hitsugaya spoke up, coming to stand beside the smaller brown lion. "Would that be possible?"

"But the Pride Lands are dangerous." She warned. "Scar and the hyenas have made things unbearable for everyone. There's no food left. They've driven off the prey." She lowered her head sadly. "We're about to starve."

"We can handle a little danger." Sora shrugged. "You saw us beat those Heartless, right?"

"I suppose you're right." The lioness mused, putting a paw to her chin in thought. "Maybe you could help us. You could be just what the kingdom needs."

"Ya mean take down Scar and those hyenas?" Goofy asked, starting to look a little nervous.

She gave a nod.

"Scar took over when our last king, Mufasa, died." She explained.

"Scar is your king?" Toshiro raised an eyebrow. She nodded again.

"You want us to take down your king!?" Sora snapped to his feet, startled, and making the lioness flinch back a bit in surprise. When she nodded again he gaped. "Hold on."

Along with Toshiro he walked back a ways towards Donald and Goofy to discuss what they were to do about their current situation.

"We can't just go knocking kings off their thrones." Sora scratched his head.

"Well if those hyenas we're anything to go by they could use a change of authority." Toshiro pointed out. "However with lion prides, the one who takes down the king becomes king and we can't take up such a position. We'd need to find someone who can."

"I dunno, you'd make a good king." Sora teased, nudging the white lion. Teal eyes glared down at him, looking a little smug that he actually could look down and not up.

"I already have a position; I can't give it up to rule over lions. And besides, it's too hot here."

"Excuses."

"Sora." Donald groaned.

"Okay, okay." The Keybearer put on a more serious face. "Well, until we find somebody, I guess we could at least get rid of Scar. That way they can recover a bit while we find a king for them."

"It's our best option, and hopefully we find the item we need along the way." Toshiro agreed.

"I'll tell her." Sora bolted back over towards the patiently waiting lioness.

His three companions waited as he explained their idea to her. At one point he pointed to each of them, no doubt introducing them, and she seemed to give him her name. They debated for a moment before she finally nodded and ran off out of the graveyard, Sora returning to their group.

"So?" Toshiro spoke first.

"Nala's gonna go on ahead and tell the other lionesses." Sora reported. "We're supposed to meet her at a place called Pride Rock. She says we'll know it when we see it."

"Then we better start heading that way."

With the lion of ice leading the way, the group made their way towards the lion's den.

* * *

**Haha, lion Shiro is bigger than lion Sora XD Age makes a difference. Off to deal with Scar!**


	64. Pride Lands: Not So Kingly Greetings

They crossed the savannah with surprisingly little obstacles in the way of Heartless for such a big place. The fields were deadened, trees black and shriveled. The sky was a dull gray that accented the feel of death permeating from the landscape. It was unnatural, lifeless, a place not suited for a pride of lions to survive, let alone a pride plus hyenas.

One of the perks was Hyorinmaru had plenty of space to fight at full size. He actually ended up flying above them as they crossed the area, keeping a look out for hyenas and Heartless alike. Sora would look up at the zanpaktou every now and again with an awed expression. The only dragon he'd ever seen was Maleficent's dragon form, and that was nowhere near as stunning as Hyorinmaru. For one, she couldn't fly, her wings tiny and useless. Well, there was Mushu too, but he was so small in comparison. No wonder he'd been afraid of Toshiro after invading his Inner World.

They reached what they assumed to be Pride Rock, a towering rocky structure that dominated the landscape. Hyorinmaru shrunk down once more and curled around his master's neck as they climbed up the path spotting the other lionesses. They began to whisper among each other as they arrived, looking hopeful about something.

Nala approached them with a baboon at her side, a staff in one hand, the other going through his beard.

"That's them." Nala said, pointing out the lion cubs.

The monkey got closer, leaning forward to be right in Sora's face, looking him over with careful scrutiny and muttering incoherently under his breath.

"What?" Sora asked, shifting his weight on his haunches as he tried to back away, nervous.

The monkey ignored him and continued looking. He glanced briefly at Donald and Goofy behind him before turning back to Nala and shaking his head. Confused, the Keybearer tilted his head.

Now the monkey strode over to Toshiro. Knowing what to expect, the white lion sat calmly under the creature's gaze, staring back with equally scrutinizing teal eyes. Hyorinmaru rumbled when the monkey inched closer, uncomfortable. Almost as if he was replying to the dragon, the monkey back up a bit and observed from a distance. He seemed more interested in Toshiro than Sora.

After a moment, the monkey eventually sighed and whispered in Nala's ear. She looked perplexed at whatever it was he said and the lionesses waited eagerly for an answer. Could they be saved?

"What is it?" Sora questioned, completely baffled by this behavior.

"I told Rafiki that you could possibly help us force Scar and the hyenas out of the Pride Lands." Nala explained. "But he says it won't work."

Sighing, the lionesses returned with heavy hearts to their den at the answer.

"Because we can't be king?" Toshiro raised a brow.

"Right." Nala sighed. "Whoever saves the Pride Lands will be our next king, and he has to have the right qualities."

"So, that means…?" Sora scrunched up his nose in thought, realizing quickly what that meant just as Goofy answered.

"Guess you're not cut out for the job, Sora." The turtle chuckled.

"Aw…"

"You could have been." Nala said to Toshiro and the white lion's eyes widened. "But Rafiki says you already rule over something, though he doesn't know what. He can tell by the way you hold yourself."

"He's right." Toshiro flicked his tail. "Back home in my pride, we're split into several groups. I hold power over one of those groups."

"Wow, you must have a big pride." Nala looked at him respectfully. For a cub to hold a position of power was astounding.

"That's one way to put it."

The lioness turned back for a moment before crouching down and moving closer.

"You better go before Scar finds out you're here." She whispered. "I'm sorry for the trouble."

"It's alright." Sora waved off her apology. "We'll be around."

She nodded and turned to join the other lionesses, letting them leave. The trio made to head off the rock, but Toshiro remained seated, cold gaze focused on the entrance to a den further up the formation, at the base of the tall rock that jutted towards the sky. He could sense a lot of darkness in there, and if he assumed right that den was where the king slept, meaning Scar was there. He also thought he could catch a familiar Spiritual Pressure inside.

"Hey, Toshiro." Sora called out.

"Captain Hitsugaya." The white lion replied quickly, though his tone was more reflex than a growl; he wasn't really paying attention.

"Sorry. You coming, Captain?"

No reply at first. Hyorinmaru uncurled himself from his master's neck and rose up into the sky, heading towards the area Toshiro was staring at. After that he stood and joined up with Sora, looking completely calm about the fact that his dragon was moving away from him. Unsure what to think of that, Sora didn't question it and simply walked with him, heading down the rock with Donald and Goofy behind them.

Three hyenas walked up the path to greet them, pausing their descent, looking at the group hungrily. It seemed to be the same three hyenas from the canyon, some of their buddies coming around behind and trapping the group in.

Hey, a snack." The male sneered.

"Snack?" The female laughed. "We got ourselves a three course meal."

The crazy one laughed manically as they stalked closer. The group took a defensive position, glaring back at the dogs and ready for a fight. Even without Hyorinmaru the white lion was capable of knocking around a few mutts.

"Hey, do I know you?" The female narrowed her eyes at the white lion cub.

A roar echoed around them before he could answer, causing the hyenas to jump in surprise, turning their gaze back to Pride Rock. Two lions sat atop it, one a dark tan with black mane, the other a brown and clearly overweight.

"Hey look, here comes Scar." One of the hyenas snickered. "The king."

"And where there's evil there's Pete." Toshiro growled, pointing out the fat lion with the king. Sora growled as well, pawing at the ground in anticipation to fight the troublemaker.

Scar looked down at them all with a bored expression, clearly feeling his power was strong enough to do away with two cubs. That condescending stare reminded Toshiro too much of that same look Aizen always had as he smiled down on him and the other Soul Reapers, thinking he was king and no one could change that. His fur bristled and his growl became far more hostile, the air growing frigid and frost spreading across the ground in a thin layer. The hyenas yelped in alarm and backed away.

Seeing this, Scar jumped down off the rock and headed towards them, looking rather curious about the invaders now. Pete attempted to follow but wasn't as graceful as the lion king, slipping and falling onto his side at the end. Goofy and Sora both shook their heads at him in disappointment. Complaining about his back a little, Pete got back on his feet and stood next to and sort of behind Scar, as a right hand man would do for any royalty.

"What are you doing here?" Sora snapped at Pete.

"Aw, the cute li'l kitty's worried about me." The fat cat teased. "If I were you, I'd be more worried about my friends."

Toshiro and Sora turned back to see the hyenas had Donald and Goofy caged in, licking their lips hungrily. They had Donald by the tail so that he couldn't fly away.

"Go on ladies." Scar turned to the lionesses, who were standing by nervously. "You've got some hunting to do."

Something slammed into his chest and knocked him back, something cold and wet spreading across the impact point. Snarling, Scar stood and brushed off the sudden ice, spotting a blur of white as one of the lion cubs darted around past him. He attempted to turn but he was once more knocked off his feet, this time by Nala.

"Run!" She shouted at the group, sounding a bit frightened at having attacked who was supposed to be her king.

"Oi, wait!" Pete snarled as Sora backed off the hyenas and took off at a sprint with his friends close behind. White shot past the startled dogs and suddenly Toshiro was running with them, his unseen guardian flying overhead.

The lionesses watched from their spot, not moving to help either side. With a great shove Scar managed to push Nala off of him, but instead of staying put and taking punishment, she further disobeyed her king and darted off after the cubs and their friends, catching up with them and leading them out onto the savannah.

"Well?" The king snarled at the hyenas.

Yipping in fear, a few of them bolted off after the fleeing group.

With the lioness leading them they made it far from Pride Rock, deep into the savannah away from any prying eyes, hiding in the cover of a grouping of deadened trees. They knew the hyenas would be following, but they were all out of breath and needed to recover.

"I'm sorry I got you involved in this." Nala sighed.

"That's okay, we got out of there fine." Sora assured her with a small purr. She smiled at him.

"And Sora wouldn't make a good king anyway." Donald snickered.

"Hey!" Sora whined. "I had to give it a try, right?"

"Being king isn't as fun as you think." Toshiro shook his head at the cub. "I'm just a Captain and that's hard enough. You have to look out for everyone while knowing you can't always help them, and that they won't always listen."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Sora's shoulders slumped.

Nala looked at the white lion curiously.

"You really do know a lot about ruling." She grinned.

"Not so much ruling as just leading." Toshiro shrugged. "Seeing as neither Sora nor I are capable of taking the position of king, is there anyone else who could?"

The lioness was lost in thought for a moment and they waited patiently for an answer.

"There was…" Her tone was full of sadness as she spoke. "But he died when he was just a cub. He was the son of our last king, Mufasa." She gave a sigh heavy with grief, indicating she knew this cub. "If only Simba were here…"

"Simba!?" Sora's eyes lit up. "But Simba's just fine! He was fighting right beside not that long ago!"

"He's alive?" Nala was on her feet quickly, excited. "Where is he?!"

"Um…that I don't know." Sora scratched his head sheepishly.

"Still…Simba's alive! I can't believe it…"

"I'm sure we can talk later." Toshiro's voice caught their attention and they spotted him crouching down by the edge of their cover, focused on the distant figures of hyenas. "We better move on before they come our way and catch us."

"**I can keep them away if they get too close.**" Hyorinmaru rumbled, curling up around a tree branch and glaring down at the pack.

Not hearing the dragon, Nala looked around before spotting something.

"We'll head through Wildebeest Valley, Scar won't follow us there." She reported, motioning towards a path further away on the savannah.

She darted that way, Donald and Goofy close behind, while Sora waited a moment with Toshiro and Hyorinmaru.

"So if they get too close, will you freeze them or something?" Sora asked the dragon.

"**I could, but considering they're not Heartless, just dull, I'd rather not kill them.**" He replied. "**I can, however, throw them off track all too easily. Hyenas are clever, but when something out of the norm happens they can't cope.**"

"Exactly." Toshiro turned and started heading off after Nala and the others, Sora close beside him. "Hyorinmaru will make sure they don't follow us, lead them on in a different direction. Let's just get as far away as we can and try to find this Simba friend of yours."

"Right!"

Wanting to test something, Toshiro picked up speed, acting like he was beginning to Flash Step. It was harder as a lion, but still possible. Startled, Sora put on a burst of speed to keep up.

'_Right, he gets better with games._'

Glancing back at the Keybearer with a mischievous look, making sure he saw, Toshiro sped up again.

"Oh, a race, huh?" Sora laughed, pushing himself as fast as he could and managing to get ahead of the white lion.

"Just seeing how fast you can go." Toshiro replied calmly, darting forward with Flash Step and easily passing him again.

Sora gave a playful growl and attempted to copy the movements. They were moving past the others now, giving them a fright as they blurred past. To the untrained eye they seemed like blurs. It was a dangerous game, as the terrain was not suited for stopping at such speeds.

Toshiro saw the end of the landscape before Sora did and attempted to stop, claws sliding through the land easily and making it much harder to do so. At least he'd given himself plenty of room.

"Ha!" Sora kept going. Mere feet away, he spotted what had made Toshiro stop and his eyes widened in alarm. "Whoa!"

He met the same problem as the Reaper as his claws passed through the ground like butter, the cliff drop coming closer with every second. Something latched onto his tail and pulled hard, slowing him down much faster as whomever it was had their claws dug into the ground much deeper. Sora's forelegs and chest hung dangerously over the edge, the Keybearer shaking a bit at the thought of having gone over, thanking whoever it was that had thought to grab him despite the ache in his tail.

'_That was close._' Toshiro inwardly sighed in relief, keeping his grip on Sora's tail and pulling him back onto solid ground before letting go. 'I _didn't think there would be a gap like this. No wonder Scar won't bring his hyenas here._'

"Th-thanks, Toshiro." Sora gulped, looking down once more at the long drop. "That would have been a bad fall."

"Sorry for biting your tail." Toshiro said.

"That's the least of my worries, trust me, and it's fine." The long tail wagged in the air to prove it. "But…how are we gonna get past this?"

Nala, Donald and Goofy finally caught up to them and also looked over the edge, the lioness being the only one seemingly unaffected by the drop. Determined, she backed up a few paces, crouched down, and put on a burst of speed as she barreled towards the edge.

"Hey!" Sora called out, startled.

They watched in amazement as she practically flew over the gap and to the other side, landing a little heavy on her feet and running on a bit to avoid strain on her joints on impact.

"Donald, can you carry Goofy over?" Hitsugaya turned to the bird.

"Yeah." The mage nodded, hovering over the turtle and gripping tightly to the shell with his feet.

It took effort and a lot of flapping, but eventually they made it to the other side to join Nala. Now it was just the two lion cubs.

"What's wrong?!" Nala called out.

"One moment!" Toshiro shouted back across the gap before turning to Sora. "Sora, listen closely."

He waited until the Keybearer turned his attention from the drop to him.

"When we were racing you showed the ability to Flash Step." He explained, watching in amusement as the boy's face lit up in excitement. "You seem to learn well simply from observing what I do, so watch again and you'll make this jump easily."

"I think I've got it, if what I did was really Flash Step, so I'll jump with you." Sora replied, moving from forepaw to forepaw in anticipation.

"Alright then." The two of them backed up to similar distances, crouching down. "Go!"

They started off at a run but didn't use Flash Step until they reached the very end, pushing off the corner to add force to their sprint, darting like an arrow through the air and landing lightly on the other side without any problems. Well, almost; Sora did trip up a bit and definitely didn't land as softly as Toshiro, but it was better than falling down the ravine.

"Nice." Nala complimented. "Let's keep moving, maybe we'll find Simba. Can you tell me more about him, Sora?"

"Yeah, sure!" The brown lion cub trotted alongside her and told of the adventures he'd had with Simba, being careful not to reveal anything about other worlds and such.

While they did that, Toshiro walked calmly behind them with Donald and Goofy. He greeted his zanpaktou silently as the dragon returned, the hyenas effectively confused and disoriented, not to mention far away from them. All they had to do now was locate Simba and hopefully they could save the Pride Lands.

And of course find the key item to get home. The Soul Reaper found himself worrying less about that and more about keeping the Heartless from ruining the lives of the worlds' natives.

'_I've been away from home too long…_'

* * *

**We be messin' with the lions! So the interaction with Scar went a little differently, as did the jump, but otherwise not much difference here. Toshiro's trying not to mess up the worlds too much, though for some that's too late XD Like Olympus Coliseum and Port Royal. Those will have very different second visits then from the game. Enjoy!**


	65. Pride Lands: Finding the King

There were more Heartless in the valley than the Savannah, but it still wasn't a problem for the group. Toshiro had Sora switch to Frozen Heavens for the time being, the two cubs fighting with powers of ice, leaving Nala staring in awe. The two moved in synch with one another, one picking up on the movements of the other and reacting accordingly. It was quite a sight. Donald and Goofy fit in perfectly as well, the former's magic and latter's strong defense making the team practically invincible.

She only wished one of them could have been the next king, Scar wouldn't have stood a chance.

Near the end of the valley, Sora decided to strike up a conversation with the lioness again.

"So why did you think Simba was dead?" He questioned, letting Toshiro take lead as he fell back to walk with her.

"When Simba's father, King Mufasa, died we were told Simba had died alongside him." She replied sadly.

"I'm guessing Scar told you that?" Toshiro turned back, gaze cynical.

Nala nodded and the white lion rolled his eyes as if to say 'of course' while keeping a steady pace towards the end of the valley.

"Rafiki?" Sora's voice caught their attention and they stopped, looking back to see the baboon walk over to a boulder and stand atop it. The monkey's attention was focused along the path, an excited expression on his face.

"It is time!" He said, gesturing forward with his staff.

'_Oh that's helpful._' Toshiro snorted and the dragon around his neck chuckled.

"It must be Simba!" Nala translated, shifting restlessly on her feet. Unable to stay still any longer, she bolted forward. "Sora! Toshiro! Hurry!"

"You gave her my first name?" Toshiro snapped at the Keybearer.

Shrugging nervously, the brown lion ran off after the lioness to avoid a lecture. It was too late now; trying to explain to the lioness why he had two names would be too complicated. That didn't mean he liked it. Grumbling, he caught up with them easily and they kept on moving, letting Hyorinmaru blast aside the Heartless. The dragon didn't seem to mind, letting off a little steam.

They sprinted through a winding pathway through the canyon before coming out upon a flat expanse of hard baked earth, the heat baring down on them and causing Toshiro to slow a little. There was an oasis further ahead, thankfully, so they wouldn't be in the heat long. Hyorinmaru hid inside his master's scarf for now to be shaded, since if he melted the Captain would be even worse off.

"If that monkey has any merit we'll hopefully find Simba here." Toshiro told Sora next to him, panting a bit as the sun glared harshly down upon him, icy fur almost glowing in the light.

"Hopefully." Sora agreed with a nod, also panting a bit from the running.

The group didn't stop until they reached the jungle, laying down gratefully in the shade of the trees and taking a drink from the pool of water nearby. The sun was starting to set, cooling the area off a bit, and the water was cooled off by a simple burst of Spiritual Pressure from the white lion, making it great to cool off in. Sora didn't hesitate to jump in the cold water, though once he got out he shivered a little. Toshiro gave a short laugh as the cub shivered, startling the Keybearer.

"Considering I just froze part of the water I would think you had the sense to know it would be very cold." Toshiro smirked.

"That's why I jumped in!" Sora shot back.

"It feels fine to me." To prove this, the ice Captain waded up to his chest in the cold water, letting out a content sigh as it cooled him off. Though he wanted to, Hyorinmaru refrained from diving in, knowing his presence would freeze the pool solid. Not a problem for him, but it would be troublesome to the others, especially his master who was halfway in it.

"Well you're used to it…"

After cooling herself off quickly, Nala was ready to move into the jungle and find Simba, motioning for the cubs to follow her. Just then, her stomach growled.

"Perhaps you should find some food." Toshiro told her while stepping out of the pool and shaking the water out of his fur. Sora covered his face as the freezing droplets showered him. "We'll find Simba."

"Are you sure?" She asked him with a concerned expression, more about finding her childhood friend then putting them in any danger. Her stomach growled again.

"Yeah, don't worry." Sora grinned at her, though he sent a miffed expression at Toshiro for getting him wet. The white lion shrugged and started moving further into the jungle.

"Once we find him we'll come get you." Goofy promised, waddling off after the white cub, Donald sitting atop his shell to rest his tired wings.

"Alright." She nodded, trusting them, and bounded off into the jungle to find food.

"Thanks for getting me wet, Toshiro!" Sora shouted at the lion at the head of the group sarcastically.

"You were already wet." Hitsugaya shot back.

"Yeah but I was starting to warm up." He shivered. "Now it's cold again!"

"You have fur; you'll warm up in no time."

A cold wind made the brown cub shiver again and he looked up to see Hyorinmaru hovering above him. He didn't like the mischievous glint in those crimson eyes. Did Toshiro have a secret playful side that only the dragon showed?

"**I could always make it colder.**" Hyorinmaru teased, glowing as if to get bigger, the winds stirring a bit.

"No thanks, Hyorinmaru!" Sora yelped at the freezing air and darted ahead of Toshiro, the Captain watching him in amusement.

"Huh?" Donald tilted his head, confused. "What's Hyorinmaru doing?"

"Trying to freeze me." The Keybearer grumbled.

"**Nonsense, I was just offering to cool you off.**" The dragon snorted, curling once more around his master's neck.

"It's cold enough!"

Though a little out of the loop, Donald and Goofy laughed at their friend, Toshiro chuckling quietly. These three were so energetic; it was hard NOT to want to laugh with them. Over the week or two he'd been with them he'd come to know them like close friends. He kept his guard down more around them, and with Hyorinmaru at his shoulder he felt at ease, comfortable, less inclined to hide behind an icy barrier. He still wasn't sure how Sora had done it, but the Keybearer had wormed his past the walls and brought out the emotions within. The boy just seemed to have a natural talent for making friends with everybody. A mischievous thought snuck into his head; how long could Byakuya Kuchiki last against the Keybearer? Catching the thought, Hyorinmaru roared with laughter, causing Sora to jump in surprise.

"What's so funny?" Sora frowned, thinking the frozen drake was laughing at his shivers.

"Don't worry about it, I was just thinking of something and he found it funny." Toshiro replied quickly, walking side by side with Sora now as they reached a clearing, a waterfall pouring down the side and a beautiful view of the rather large oasis clear on every side.

Their attention was immediately caught, bodies tensing, as they spotted a group of aerial Heartless circled around a lion with a dark red mane, amber eyes glaring at his opponent as he stood trapped upon a log bridge over where the river fell further down into the oasis. One dared approach and the lion tensed before opening his jaws wide and letting loose a powerful roar. It stirred up feelings of courage and the will to fight among the group, while the Heartless cowered down and retreated, leaving the lion alone.

"Simba!" Sora called out happily, glad the Heartless were gone and eager to greet his friend. Donald and Goofy were close behind while Toshiro hung back as he always did upon reunions.

Apparently the big lion did not recognize them, crouching low with a menacing glare that stopped Sora in his tracks. Toshiro's fur bristled, hoping this didn't come to a fight.

"I-It's me, Sora." The Keybearer said nervously. "Donald and Goofy are here, too."

The names sparked a hint of curiosity, bringing Simba off the log and toward them, looking at them closely. So they must have met him on a different world, meaning he had been a summon, and therefore didn't recognize their new forms. Finally it clicked, though, and the lion's face lit up with joy.

"Sora, Donald, Goofy!" He called out happily, sounding like he was still rather young. Well, he was the same age as Nala, and she had only just reached adulthood herself.

The lion pounced Sora, but playfully, and knocked the cub onto his back. Startled, Sora could only lie there as the bigger lion rubbed the cub affectionately in greeting as lions would do, Donald and Goofy laughing a bit.

"What happened to you?" Simba asked with a chuckle, meaning their new forms.

Before they could answer, and before Toshiro could make known his presence, two screams sounded off in the jungle behind them. They all tensed at the sound, wondering if there were Heartless. Toshiro sensed, not Heartless, but Nala and two other animals. Seems she'd found food.

Simba, however, seemed to disagree with this and growled.

"Timon! Pumbaa!" He moved aside and Sora stood quickly. "I have to help my friends!"

"We'll back you up." Sora promised, bounding off when Simba did.

Toshiro was cautious about following. Nala clearly needed food, but it seemed the only kind she'd found were friends of Simba's, meaning she'd either have to go hungry a little longer or lose Simba's friendship. The answer was obvious. The real question was where could they find something for the lioness to eat? Yes, that was definitely the harder question to answer.

But now called for action, so he Flash Stepped after them, catching up to them easily and watching as Simba tackled the lioness just before she could leap upon a warthog and meerkat, both with their eyes wide and terrified. Fury lit up in the male lion's expression, clearly not recognizing the lioness, though she didn't either as she fought with equal ferocity.

"Wait, Simba!" Sora called out, horrified that they were fighting. He caught a flash of white. "Toshiro!"

Understanding that the lions wouldn't be paying attention to their shouts, Toshiro had taken it upon himself to stop the fight. His smaller body hit Simba's hard, knocking him away and causing the larger lion to notice this strange cub. Said cub had latched onto Nala's tail with his paw, freezing it to the ground.

"That's enough, both of you!" Toshiro growled at them, hackles raised to make him appear larger. His tone was enough as the adults stopped. "Perhaps you should take a closer look at each other. You are childhood friends, after all."

Sora saw something creep into his friend's expression, a tiny sadness that made him frown. It took him a moment but he realized the Captain was relating this somehow to himself and Momo.

"Huh?" Simba looked curiously at Nala, though he still felt suspicious about the white cub.

Features in her face seemed to bring forth old memories. Similarly, Nala was looking past the size and mane and seeing her old friend from years ago. Unfreezing her tail, Toshiro walked back over to Sora and the others and waited while the two happily reunited, the recognition settling in.

"You really are alive!" Nala purred, her head rubbing his in a friendly greeting.

"Nice one, Toshiro." Sora smirked, holding up a paw. Toshiro raised a brow at him before giving in and high-fiving the Keybearer. Hyorinmaru chuckled at them.

"Hey!" The meerkat complained, looking at the two lions in confusion. "What's going on here?"

"What does it look like?" Donald replied, causing him and the pig to turn and notice them there. Their gaze focused on the cubs, stiffening and letting out a yelp before darting off. The meerkat hid behind Simba's leg.

"Don't worry." Simba chuckled. "They're friends of mine." He looked up at Toshiro. "Well…except that one."

"He's a friend of ours." Sora vouched. "He looks scary, but he's not."

"Oh?" Toshiro looked down upon the brown cub. Sora gulped, wondering what he'd done to upset him. "That reaction said otherwise."

"Hey!" Realizing the white cub had been messing with him, Sora stuck his tongue out.

The others laughed a bit, Donald and Goofy glad to see how relaxed the Captain was around them now. Their original bet on getting him to smile had been called off, though most of the time he just smirked. Smiles were still hard to come by.

"So that means…nobody plans on eating anybody for lunch, right?"

"That depends." Toshiro shrugged mysteriously. The meerkat flinched back and Simba glared warningly at the white cub. "I won't eat anybody."

"Hehe, sometimes it's hard to tell when he's being sarcastic." Sora apologized to his friend.

"Are you sure they don't want to eat me like I'm some kinda pig?" The warthog whimpered, cowering under a bush.

The world traveling group shared glances.

"We won't…" Sora promised. "But, you are a pig, right?"

"Call me Mr. Pig!" The warthog shot up, suddenly looking brave.

The others laughed, once more excluding Toshiro who just sighed and waited. If Nala wasn't downing the animals anyway, then her hunger must not be too terrible. Either that or she was just that loyal. He wouldn't put it past a lion.

"Could you guys excuse us for a few minutes?" Simba asked his two friends sheepishly.

The meerkat looked him over suspiciously.

"Why am I not surprised?" He shrugged, walking back over to the warthog and climbing onto his back.

Nodding in appreciation, Simba motioned to Nala and together they walked back up to the clearing. The others watched them leave, some confused, others miffed. One particularly didn't care but wondered what it was they were going to talk about. He wasn't too nosy, though, and lay down in the grass to rest for now.

"So who are you?" The meerkat asked with his paws on his hips, feeling braver with approaching the large cub.

"It's rude to ask for someone's name without giving yours first." Toshiro replied.

"Oh, okay. I'm Timon, and this is Pumbaa." He motioned to the warthog for the second name.

"Salutations." The warthog nodded. Toshiro liked his manners.

"Captain Toshiro." Hitsugaya replied, knowing he'd get enough questions about the title and leaving off his last name. It's how Nala knew him, so it might as well be how everyone else knew him to avoid confusion. He looked pointedly at Sora, the Keybearer smiling sheepishly.

"Captain?" The warthog tilted his head.

"It's a rank within my…pride that gives me some authority over other lions."

"But you're just a c-" The meerkat was cut off as Sora put a paw over his mouth, the latter laughing nervously.

"He's tough, isn't he, to be a Captain?" Sora gave them a look that said 'don't ask, but I just saved your life'.

What Sora didn't know was Toshiro was used to being called a kid on every world now and knew it would happen here whether he wanted it too or not. Yes, it still riled him up, but he was forcing himself to not get so worked up about it. At home he hated it because everyone knew he was a Captain, therefore powerful, and was deserving of respect, not being looked down upon as a child.

"So where's your pride, Toshiro?" Timon crossed his arms as he asked this, suspicious.

"I'm very far from home." Toshiro stood and walked over to a pool. "Sora's helping me to get back."

"Oh, I see, so you're kinda like Simba."

Teal eyes shifted from the pool he'd been about to drink from to the tiny animal, curiosity clear in his expression.

"Simba ran away from home as a cub and found his way here half dead. I rescued him," He paused as Pumbaa snorted, "and Pumbaa helped, and we showed him how to survive out here. Apparently whatever happened back home was pretty bad but we just taught him Hakuna Matata."

"Excuse me?" The two words were completely foreign to Toshiro. His dragon tilted his head curiously.

"Hakuna Matata! Sometimes bad things happen and there's nothing you can do about it!"

Sora thought it was a good idea, but when he looked at Toshiro he saw anger flash in his eyes, Hyorinmaru lifting into the air but not as a threat; he seemed worried about his master. The brown cub backed away a bit. Confused, Timon looked from him to Toshiro, realizing what he'd said had somehow upset the stranger.

"Nothing you can do about it?" Toshiro said with a slight growl. "Those are the words of cowards. There's always something you can do about it. You might not be able to change something that already happened, but you can damn well attempt to correct it." He stalked closer to the meerkat who quickly cowered behind Goofy, the turtle unsure what to say to calm the ice Captain. "Running away solves nothing. You'll never get anywhere if you don't fight for what you believe in."

It was then Timon and Pumbaa noticed the scar running through his gleaming white fur and cowered down more. Cub or not, clearly this one had more problems in his past than Simba had.

"W-W-well, th-that's not e-exact-tly what-t I meant." Timon stuttered. "I-It means n-n-no worries!"

"I think they mean you shouldn't worry about what's happened in the past, Captain." Goofy attempted. Toshiro looked at him curiously and so he continued. "Instead of looking back on the past and wondering what you did wrong, look to the future and how to make it better! Hakuna Matata!"

"Yes, exactly!" Timon jumped out from behind him for a moment before glancing at Toshiro and hiding once more.

The group watched him with baited breaths, Sora's gaze on the ice dragon as he hovered next to his master and let out a calming rumble. Finally, the tension in the lion's body eased up, the air warming up, as he thought over what he'd been told. Perhaps he had misunderstood Timon's explanation at first and overreacted. His thoughts were still on what it was that had made him hostile; Momo lying in a coma in Squad Four, Aizen's smiling face as he cut down his comrades without effort, the stress and pain he constantly carried as he worried if his sister would awaken, if Aizen could be stopped, if the Arrancar destroyed Karakura Town.

He let out a sigh and turned away, back to the pool where he sat silently with his back turned.

"Sheesh, what's his problem." He heard Timon whisper.

"Toshiro's had a lot happen to him." Sora's voice replied. "But I wouldn't ask. Anyway, let's go see how Simba and Nala are doing and let him think."

Good, Sora could tell he wanted time alone to calm down. He heard the group walk away, waiting until they were gone before flopping onto the ground, his forepaws splashing into the water. Hyorinmaru gave a purr and curled up next to the Captain to be of support, as he always did in his Inner World.

"Hakuna Matata, huh?" Toshiro muttered to himself. "Wish I'd have heard of it before."

"**It has its merits, but it wouldn't catch on very quickly in the Soul Society.**" Hyorinmaru chuckled. "**There's too much to worry about.**"

"Definitely. But still…" He lifted a paw and touched the top of the water lightly, watching as ice snaked through the liquid in delicate swirls. "Perhaps I do worry too much…"

"**Hmph, if a meerkat and a turtle was all I needed to tell you that I would have come here sooner.**" The dragon snorted. "**I've been trying to tell you that for decades.**"

"Shut up." Toshiro snapped.

His ear flicked back as he heard someone walk by, turning to spot Nala. The lioness looked confused and upset, stalking right past him and into the jungle out of sight, not bothering to look his way. This behavior confused the white cub, his head tilted in question. Wondering what had happened, he stood and entered the clearing, Simba walking past as he did so. The lion looked saddened by something.

"What's going on?" Toshiro turned to Sora and the others, officially lost.

The cub shrugged, just as clueless.

Curiosity piqued, Toshiro followed after the lion in order to get some answers, leaving Hyorinmaru with Sora for now so the dragon could explain. Normally the Captain wasn't so nosy, but if they were going to get anywhere then Simba needed to become king, and that look on his face was leading a different direction.

Which meant some outside interference would be needed.

* * *

**Whoo, really long chapter. Enjoy!**


	66. Pride Lands: Heart to Soul Talk

Night had fallen now, signaling the end of the day. From the shadows of the tree branches he sheltered in, Toshiro looked down upon Simba. The lion stood at the edge of the cliff face, looking up at the sky, unobstructed by trees thanks to his perch. The sadness from earlier was still there.

"My father's dead." Simba said, his voice carrying towards Toshiro easily in the silent night. "And it's because of me…It's my fault…"

Teal eyes narrowed as Toshiro continued to listen. So that's what this was about. From what he'd heard from Nala, Simba's father, Mufasa, had been trampled by wildebeest while trying to save Simba. The story she'd been told was they both ended up perishing. Somehow, though, Simba survived, and now blamed his father's death on himself, if his words just now were anything to go by.

"I can't go back." Simba lowered his head. "It won't change anything."

Scoffing, Toshiro now knew what it was he could say to change things. It would probably end up being more personal than he'd like, but it had to be done.

Simba stiffened as he heard the soft sound of the cub landing, nearly nonexistent, and turned to spot the ice-eyed lion. It wasn't terribly hard, what with the lion's white fur gleaming in the moonlight in stark contrast to the dark forest. He almost looked like a ghost. Simba began to wonder if maybe he was a spirit.

"You can't change death." Toshiro said, stopping a few feet away. "But you can move on from it. And moving on does not involve running away."

"I had to." Simba growled. "It was my fault; if I had just done what I was told…those wildebeest wouldn't have come…he wouldn't have had to save me…"

"What?" Toshiro narrowed his eyes, wondering what the lion was talking about.

"It was a long time ago, it doesn't matter." Simba sighed and turned away. "You wouldn't understand…"

Simba heard the cub growl and looked back in surprise. That growl sounded too menacing for a cub. At that age, Simba's had still sounded high-pitched and pathetic.

"A fellow Captain in my pride betrayed everyone, tricked us all into thinking he was harmless when in truth he was our greatest enemy." Simba listened to the cub with rapt attention. "Even I could never have guessed it was him, though I had suspicions about it all. What's worse, one of the…lions he had authority over…was my sister."

If lions could pale, Simba would have. He could already see where this was going.

"She looked up to him like a father, and he took her down." The growl was back, the night wind colder than ever for reasons Simba could not explain. "He left her for dead and with an army of his own nearly decimated our pride. I was furious with him for what he'd done, attacked him in a blind fury, but I lost."

The cub shifted so that his scar was visible, Simba's eyes widening.

"While my sister stayed in recovery I constantly wondered what I could have done." Toshiro's voice had gotten softer now, but every word was clear as a bell. "What if I had realized it was him? What if I had gotten there faster? What if I had been strong enough to defeat him? I blamed myself for what happened." Teal eyes blazing with ferocity, Toshiro captured Simba's gaze and spoke with an air of demand beyond his age. "But I did not run away. I know looking back on the past only makes it harder, but running away from it definitely doesn't make it easier. She would never forgive me…Your father would not forgive you."

For a moment, there was only silence. Simba had nothing to say, wondering why the cub would share something so personal. That story had a lot of weight behind it, and he dared not question if it was true or not. The pain in those teal depths was enough to answer that. He'd thought the cub was sort of a recluse, if his interactions from before were any indication, yet he openly discussed these painful memories to Simba, a stranger, and for that the lion respected him.

"What happened was not your fault." Toshiro finally spoke up. "You couldn't have known the wildebeest were there. Now that he's dead, though, you can't just turn your back."

"But the others." Simba shook his head. "If they knew it was my fault…everyone looked up to my father, as did I. If they knew I was the reason he died…"

Turning away, Simba once more looked up at the stars. Toshiro took that moment to glare into the bushes where he knew the others were listening. Sora already knew most of what had been said, but he didn't really feel the need for everyone to know about it. Too late now.

A harsh wind brought his attention forward again. Startled, he jumped to his feet, watching as thick clouds formed in front of them in a large spiral. Toshiro felt a powerful Spiritual Pressure there, a spirit breaking through the plane between living and dead, one that felt familiar to the lion next to him.

The head of a lion formed in the clouds, looking upon Simba with both disappointment and caring.

"**Simba…**" It spoke softly with a hint of that same disappointment in its expression. "**You have forgotten who you are. You must take your place in the Circle of Life.**"

"How can I go back?" Simba shouted up at the figure. "I'm not who I used to be…"

"**Remember who you are.**" The lion spoke. "**You are my son, and the one true king.**"

The binds keeping spirits and mortals apart were pulling the lion, whom they realized now was Mufasa, back into the sky where the spirits belonged here. Toshiro did not interfere, as it was not his place to meddle with their spirit world. The clouds dispersed, taking the figure of Mufasa with them. Simba panicked for a moment as his father left, stepping closer to the edge.

"He's gone." Toshiro told him, staying further back. "But I would take his words into account."

"I am." Simba replied calmly.

Satisfied, Toshiro turned back to the bushes.

"You can all come out now." Simba spoke first when he saw the cub turn, turning himself to face them as Sora, Donald, Goofy, Timon and Pumbaa sheepishly stepped out of their hiding spot to stand before him.

They looked up at Simba, waiting for an explanation, Sora looking to Toshiro, the dragon that had been perched atop the Keybearer's back moving back to his master. The white cub was motionless, teal eyes focused on Simba as fi waiting for something. Sora wondered how hard it was for the Soul Reaper to say what had been said. But, as usual, it was impossible to tell exactly what the prodigy was thinking, and Hyorinmaru wasn't any help.

"I'm going back to face my past." Simba finally said, voice strong and sure. "I could use your help."

The group grinned or nodded to show they would.

"Wow, he really is a king." Timon said proudly, as if the lion was his own son.

"Though I'm glad you're eager to do what's right, I think we could all use some sleep." Toshiro spoke up, finally moving and heading back into the jungle. "No use going up against Scar half-awake."

"You're the one who hasn't slept in days." Sora grumbled. "Not even for a nap, which is what I do."

"I don't have time for that."

"Oh come on, even you don't have that much energy."

"Says the one with a never ending supply of it."

"Because I nap in between!"

"I did say we 'all' need sleep, right?" Toshiro turned back to the brown lion with a glare. "I don't think I left myself out of that sentence."

"Just saying." Sora shrugged.

Grumbling, Toshiro headed off to find a quiet place to sleep. The Keybearer was right, he hadn't slept in a while, and their long run away from Pride Rock had made known he needed some rest soon. Not to mention something to eat. He'd rather not eat the animals if he could help it, but Timon and Pumbaa's solution of bugs made him almost as sick as Rangiku's idea of food. He'd eventually eaten them but it wasn't as filling as he'd hoped, not to mention his stomach was still disagreeing with him.

"Hey, Sora." Simba held the Keybearer back as the others left. "Where did you meet Toshiro? On one of the…" He lowered his voice, "other worlds?"

"Yeah." Sora nodded, voice just as quiet. "His world was locked away for a long time, but he got kidnapped by the darkness and we found him. We're trying to get him home right now and find some friends of ours, who don't seem to be here."

"I see." The king-to-be mused. "What he said…was all that true?"

"Most of it, yeah. His pride is actually this group of warriors, but other than that he kept it true. I'm not allowed to say any more or he'll freeze me." The cub shuddered at the thought.

"Oh yeah, he does seem to have a cold wind follow him around."

"That's nothing, wait until a battle gets serious." Sora beamed. "Toshiro's pretty scary when he's mad. But he's still a good guy. He just needs to lighten up a little, that's all."

"Guess he could use a lesson from Hakuna Matata." Simba chuckled.

"Well," Sora scratched his head, "he didn't really take too well to that. What he believes in is way different than what you guys believe in, and it's really hard to convince him of anything." The cub stood. "But he's really smart…he'll come around some time or another. It took me forever to get him to smile!"

"Really?" Simba looked startled by this. "Goodness, he must be in a really tight spot."

"Kinda. His boss is trying to get him to come home already and we're trying really hard to get there, but it's taking a while and I think it's starting to get to Toshiro."

"Worried about his sister?"

Stiffening, Sora realized something from what the lion had said. Things were starting to click into place now as he thought over everything he'd been told of Toshiro's past so far. There was a missing piece that Sora hadn't noticed before. Toshiro had told them of how Aizen had nearly killed Momo, his sister, but he'd never told them about what had happened to her afterwards. The Winter War was months after Aizen's initial betrayal, so Toshiro said, so surely she was okay.

So why did he seem so upset with talking about her?

Sora inwardly gulped, wondering if maybe she was dead. Maybe that was why he was so sensitive when talking about her, why he about killed Demyx on the spot for mentioning her. But he had told Demyx she'd survived. Then what had happened to her? All he said was she'd survived…was she different somehow?

'_Still in recovery, he said…but how? It's been a long time, why is she still recovering? If he kept his arm, why was she not better?_'

So many questions were filling Sora's head that he hadn't thought of before. Toshiro was cautious in battle, so how did he let his guard down bad enough to let Aizen wound him like that? And then there was that one person Demyx had mentioned…Kusaka. He had acted like this Kusaka person and Toshiro were friends, but the Squad Ten Captain had stiffened when his name was mentioned. Not to mention Demyx spoke of him in past tense. Who was he? What had happened to him? In fact, what was Demyx's relationship to Toshiro, other than being his Thirteenth Seat?

"Sora?" Simba's voice broke through his thoughts and Sora turned to him in surprise.

"Sorry! I gotta go!" Before the lion could ask what was wrong, Sora used a slow Flash Step to dart away, too fast for Simba, and hunted down wherever Toshiro could have gone. He knew he'd probably get frozen for this, but he had to know. He had to figure out what it was Toshiro was too afraid to say.

'_Maybe if I can get him to open up…I can help him get rid of the darkness! If he holds it in like this the Heartless will get him!_'

The ice spirit was curled up in a tree, safe from anything on the ground that could possibly get him while he slept. Cautious, as always.

"Hey, Toshiro." Sora called up softly, wondering if maybe he was already asleep.

Teal eyes were revealed as the Captain glanced down at him.

"What?"

"I've, uh…got a few questions." Toshiro took in the cub's stance; nervous and scared. What kind of questions did the Keybearer have?

Sighing, Toshiro jumped down easily from his perch and instead lay down upon the ground in front of Sora. The Keybearer lay down as well to get comfortable, still looking nervous.

"Well?" Toshiro questioned, one brow rising, Hyorinmaru moving to rest to the side between them with crimson eyes on alert.

"It's, um…about Momo." Just as Sora expected, Toshiro became stiff and the air cooled dramatically, Hyorinmaru letting off a low growl that vibrated down to the boy's bones.

"What are you getting at, Sora?" Toshiro's tone had a sharp bite to it that made the Keybearer flinch.

"It's just…you never told me what happened to her…after what Aizen did…. Is she okay?" Keeping his head down, Sora waited to see what would happen.

Silence stretched between them almost torturously, lingering as the Captain kept a fierce icy glare on him while he thought about how to respond. At one point, Hyorinmaru turned to his master and gave a low rumble in his throat. Whatever passed between them made the Captain uncomfortable and now he shifted nervously in place.

'_This isn't right, Hyorinmaru…_' Toshiro responded to his dragon's words. '_I can't…I can't talk about that to him._'

'_**He wants to help you.**_' His zanpaktou shot back.

Toshiro watched in shock as the dragon actually went over to Sora, curling around the boy's neck in a friendly manner and looking at his master impatiently.

"Hyorinmaru?" Sora looked at the dragon curiously.

"**If you will not speak, I will.**" This the dragon said aloud. Toshiro snarled at him but said nothing, turning away. "**Very well. It seems your stubbornness prevents you once again from looking to others for help. I will not watch you fall apart again by refusing another's aid.**"

"Again? What do you mean?" Sora looked between Reaper and sword in confusion.

"Hyorinmaru." Toshiro growled in warning.

"**I've already decided so if you don't want to hear it you best leave.**"

The white lion turned back to them and Sora felt his heart drop. Toshiro did not look mad, he looked…betrayed.

"Why?" Toshiro's growl was gone, replaced with sadness.

"**This boy has shared your power for some time now, Master; you are connected more than you think.**" The dragon's tone had also softened and Sora felt he was intruding on a rather deep bond between them. "**He wants to help you, just as Kurosaki has before. You tried to refuse Kurosaki's help…are you going to go through that again?**"

Baring his fangs, Hitsugaya said nothing.

When his master did not speak, neither to agree nor refuse, Hyorinmaru moved to hover in front of Sora.

"It's okay, really, I don't have to know." Sora frowned, standing to leave.

"**It's too late now, child, you're already in too deep.**" Hyorinmaru snapped and Sora quickly sat back down. "**But I want you to promise me you will NEVER tell ANYONE.**"

Sora stood tall, his face more serious than he'd ever been, and put a paw over his heart.

"I promise on my life I won't. Not even Donald and Goofy."

Satisfied, the dragon seemed to relax a little, looking back briefly at his master. The white lion's head was hung low, posture slack as if carrying a heavy weight. Even though Toshiro was currently a lion the pose was all too familiar for the zanpaktou.

'_**I'm doing this to help you, Toshiro.**_' Hyorinmaru promised silently.

'_I know…_' Came the soft reply. '_I just…didn't want him to hear it…_'

'_**You underestimate him, he'll get through it.**_'

The dragon turned back to Sora, the Keybearer waiting patiently. He understood this was hard for them, to trust someone else with their secrets.

"**You wish to know what happened to Momo Hinamori?**" Hyorinmaru questioned first. Sora nodded. "**Very well. I shall show you.**"

"Sh-show me?" Sora blinked, confused.

"Bring out the Keyblade, Sora." Toshiro said in a low voice. "He's going to merge with it…and show you what happened by resonating with your soul. He'll show you everything Aizen did, and answer all your questions before you ask them."

"Are…Are you sure?" This seemed rather extreme. They weren't just going to tell him what happened, they were going to show him…that was as personal as one could get. Sora wasn't sure he deserved that much.

"I'm not…" Toshiro turned away. "But Hyorinmaru is…and I trust him."

Without another word, the Captain leaped back into the tree, returning to his former sleeping position. Sora looked up at him sadly.

Hyorinmaru was still waiting patiently so he summoned his Keyblade to him, holding it between his paws. The ice dragon curled around the handle over top of his paws, making him shiver at the freezing touch, and glowed the same color as Toshiro's Spiritual Pressure. The Keyblade flashed into the form of Frozen Heavens, giving off the same powerful glow.

Then his sight went black, replaced with memories. Scenes of a much younger Toshiro being chased down by other kids, a frightened look in that normally icy teal gaze. Battles with horrifying monsters of towering sizes being cut down by ice. A black haired man with the same sword as Toshiro. That was possible? Apparently not as a council ordered the man killed…by Toshiro's own hand. Either that or Toshiro would have to be killed by him.

A face, grinning evilly, brown hair swept back. Disguised with glasses and a Captain's robe, stabbing a small girl with her hair in a bun, that smile still there. Ice everywhere, the rage of its wielder burning through Sora's soul as he watched in horror. Defeat. Pain. Toshiro was dying, saved by quick action from a woman he didn't recognize, long braided black hair and a worried expression as she kept the ice Captain alive.

Days upon days of relentless training, a power Sora didn't understand, large ice wings, the word Bankai passing through his mind but not sticking as he didn't know what it was, only that it was associated with this dragon-like image Toshiro had. Anger, hate, self-loathe. The emotions stung at Sora. Constant worry for the girl in a coma, the sword that had pierced her far too close to her heart.

A man's return, the one whose sword matched Toshiro's, a second Hyorinmaru. A set up made to make Toshiro the bad guy, to draw him out. Toshiro hid away, wanting to finish it on his own, refusing the help of a young, orange-haired man who only wanted to help, as Sora did now. The Captain was injured, hardly able to fight back as the other Reapers tried to arrest him, barely escaping. Finding the man, Kusaka, and attempting to put a stop to everything, having to accept the orange-haired man's help to do so.

A final duel between Hyorinmaru's two masters with Toshiro as victor, killing his friend for a second time. Overwhelming sadness. Toshiro didn't dwell on it long, moving on in order to protect his friends. To fight.

War, fights with humanoid beings with power beyond anything Sora had ever witnessed. A woman with power over water, dressed like a shark, overpowering Toshiro as he fought to remain alive. People with masks like the ones on the creatures coming to aid him.

And then that man again. And the girl. She was fine. Sora felt relief. The orange-haired figure again with a long black katana entered the fray and Toshiro was one of many to prevent him from being snagged into the traitor's power. They were winning, defeating him. Aizen was falling. Toshiro ran him through and to Sora's horror felt satisfaction at this death. His icy friend felt victorious, thinking only of the girl his victim had killed.

Then the scene changed and Sora actually let out a gasp. They had not won. They had been tricked. The one Toshiro had stabbed with such fury was not his enemy.

It was his sister.

She looked up at him in confusion, wondering why he had hurt her. Sora felt Toshiro's pain, his anger. Felt him snap and lose any thought of friend or foe, only to destroy the one who had done this. Rage was dominant and it burned fiercely. He could only focus on Aizen, charging forward with the intent to kill. To destroy. To murder the one who had cast this pain upon him.

Blood. Pain. Shock. Sora could hardly keep up. This was where the scar had come from, a brutal cut that had taken Aizen hardly any effort at all to make, leaving Toshiro alive but unable to fight, bleeding out with no hope of surviving the night had the healers not come to aid him.

Even after healing, Toshiro felt nothing but pain, refusing to remain immobile and continuing to train to get stronger, ignoring his wounds to the point of making them worse as he got stronger and stronger. Aizen was imprisoned. His sister was recovering. But he did not feel safe. He became colder, more of a recluse. And no one could make him any different.

The vision ended and Sora was once more in the real world as a lion cub, the Squad ten Captain resting in the trees, and Hyorinmaru's crimson eyes watching the Keybearer closely as he removed himself from the Keyblade and hovered in front of him. He felt liquid running down his face but wasn't all that surprised to realize he was crying. Never had he realized what kind of pain his friend was going through. That scar wasn't just because he'd lost to Aizen, it was because he'd lost to Aizen trying to protect his childhood friend and sister, whom he was tricked into nearly killing. It was one thing to kill one's friend before their eyes; it was another to make them do it themselves after stabbing them beforehand.

"I…I…" Sora had nothing to say for what he'd just witnessed. Now he fully regretted asking; he cursed his curiosity.

"**Remember, don't tell anyone.**" Hyorinmaru growled in warning.

"Never." Sora replied in an instant.

Deep blue eyes looked up at the snow white figure in the trees. Perhaps he would have laughed, as he looked like a stubborn snowball refusing to melt off the tree. But it wasn't funny right now. Tensing his legs, Sora leapt up into the tree. Feeling the movement, Toshiro picked his head up slightly, expression guarded.

"Toshiro, I….I'm sorry." Sora lowered his head. "I shouldn't have asked…"

"You just wanted to help." The once icy voice was now subdued and quiet, which only made the Keybearer more nervous.

"But…what happened…how did you…how did you live through it?"

"I had help." Toshiro lifted his head to look at the sky. "Though I never admitted it to myself." He paused as Hyorinmaru joined them, rubbing his icy head affectionately against his master's fur. "Especially from Hyorinmaru."

"I kinda wish I had a zanpaktou." Sora smirked lightly, wanting to lighten the mood.

"You've got the Keyblade. It may not speak to you, but I'm sure it's helping you in ways you don't yet realize." The white lion put his head back down and closed his eyes. "Get some sleep."

Nodding, Sora turned to leave, pausing just before he leapt downwards. The branch was big enough for both of them, and Sora didn't really want to leave his friend alone just yet. So, he stepped over and huddled up next to the bigger cub, their backs touching, and proceeded to fall asleep.

"Thank you, Sora." Toshiro's whisper was the last thing he heard.

* * *

**They just keep getting longer, these chapters, I swear. Goodness... But hey, more for you guys! I just kept going with this chapter. Now Sora and Toshiro will be best pals XD Kinda...at least they'll understand each other better. And that means Toshiro won't be an ass anymore as some people have said he is Just gotta give him time, people, you had to now he'd warm up to Sora eventually! Everybody loves Sora!**


	67. Pride Lands: This is Our Land

"Sora! Toshiro!" The high-pitched voice snapped the ice Captain awake. That was Donald, then.

It was lighter than he'd realized, meaning they'd slept past dawn. It would take half a day to get back to Pride Rock if they didn't want to wear themselves out getting there; he had hoped to have left by now.

'_Damn, I was more exhausted then I thought._' Toshiro grumbled to himself, stretching himself out and turning to the cub beside him. '_Maybe I should try napping like he does._'

Sora was still sound asleep, snoring a bit. Amused, Toshiro poked the brown cub's side with his paw a few times.

"**I don't think it's working.**" Hyorinmaru snorted off to the side as Sora remained firmly asleep.

Toshiro gave a hum in reply, wondering how to best wake the boy up without knocking him off the tree. That would be a nasty fall for sure when drowsy. He could hear the others coming closer, still calling out their names. Heaving a sigh, Toshiro once more lifted a paw but this time put a little of his Spirit Energy into it. When he poked the Keybearer this time, ice spread in a thin layer of frost across his body.

"Whoa!" The sudden chill snapped Sora to his feet and got him off balance. Toshiro managed to keep him from falling off but it was safe to say he was awake now.

"Sora?" Goofy called out, hearing the shouted. He and Donald came into sight below, looking around in confusion.

"U-up here." Sora replied, quickly shaking off both surprise and frost. "Jeez that's cold."

"You wouldn't wake up." Toshiro smirked, jumping down and landing in front of Donald. The bird gave a startled quack before huffing at him.

Sora first stuck his tongue out before following, joining up with his companions.

"Look what we found." Donald used a leg to hold forward a lion-head keychain with a bronze chain.

"Sweet!" Sora let the bird wrap it around his necklace for now until they could properly exchange it onto the Keyblade later.

"Simba's about to head out." Goofy reported. "We better go."

"Right!"

The four companions headed back through the jungle towards Simba, the lion standing with Timon and Pumbaa. Nala was there too, now, having left before to find food that wasn't friends with anyone. She seemed to have found it if her stronger stance was anything to go by.

"Ready to get your home back, Your Majesty." Sora teased the male, doing a dramatic bow.

"Stop that." Simba laughed. "Come on, we better get moving."

"Scar's probably on the lookout after what happened." Nala reported. "He'll be careful about challenging you again, Toshiro."

"Good." The ice Captain flicked his tail. "But he shouldn't, as he's not mine to fight." For this he looked pointedly at Simba. The lion sighed but agreed.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Timon shouted. "Let's get a move on!"

"If you can keep up." Sora poked the meerkat.

"Course I can! Right Pumbaa?"

"Uh…" The warthog looked warily at the cubs; he'd seen Sora flashing by last night even if Timon had been too preoccupied to. And with Sora seeming to be learning a lot from Toshiro he had no doubt the white lion was just as fast.

"We'll all stick together." Simba grinned at them, taking lead and heading out of the jungle. They were like a small army, heading off to take down a tyrant king. Hopefully they actually could; anyone in history could tell you it didn't usually work. Then again, no one in history had a Keybearer, a Soul Reaper Captain, a mage and a knight on their side, not to mention two lions who knew their way around the land and the animals.

Unlike the full on sprint they'd used to get here, they kept it at a steady pace, not wanting to exhaust themselves just getting there. The sun was still low so at least the desert area wasn't hot yet, and the full night's rest had done well for the Reaper, able to keep himself cool and continue running without needing to worry about overheating.

Once they reached the winding canyon again they were met with Heartless, the dark creatures popping up here and there at the smell of new hearts to be consumed. Simba got to witness first-hand the icy power of the white lion Sora had made friends with, Timon and Pumbaa gaping as ice formed out of thin air where he struck. Hyorinmaru, invisible to all but Toshiro and Sora, struck in time with his master so they would assume it was all him, and that there wasn't a spirit following them around. After a few battles, Toshiro changed Sora's Keyblade to Frozen Heavens, his excuse being that the wielder hadn't quite mastered using it yet.

"How do you do that?" Timon asked after a lull in the Heartless.

"Hm?" Toshiro turned to the meerkat, having been listening to something Hyorinmaru was saying when the animal had approached.

"The ice! How do you make it appear like that?!"

"Everyone in my pride has a special ability." Tapping a paw to the ground, ice frosted the ground in a four pointed star shape, Sora recognizing it as the shape of Hyorinmaru's hilt. "Mine isn't the strongest, which is why I'm just a Captain. But I do have the strongest ice-type power."

"Whoa…" Timon and Pumbaa said together.

"Come on!" Simba called back to them from ahead with Sora and Donald nearby, Nala sprinting to reach them.

The white cub joined them in a single bound with Flash Step while the others hurried to catch up. They were nearing the savannah portion of the Pride Lands, the only thing separating them from Scar and the hyenas. The gap was jumped with ease, though Timon and Pumbaa were helped across by Sora and Simba respectively, Goofy once more carried by Donald, and they paused for a moment atop a rocky outcropping to scan over the landscape, looking for any signs of danger.

"Wait a minute," Timon looked out at the deadened landscape, "we're gonna fight you're uncle for THIS?"

The soon-to-be king looked back at his animal companions. They all looked at him, waiting, though Toshiro seemed to be distracted by something. He could not see the ice dragon as the creature uncurled himself from the cub's neck and lifted into the air as a scout.

"Yes, Timon." The lion replied, looking back out over the savannah. "This is my home."

"Talk about your fixer-upper." Timon muttered.

"Once the hyenas are gone it'll get better." Toshiro shrugged, standing as they moved to head out.

Hyenas were still roaming the lands but bolted at the large party heading their way. The real problem was the Heartless, which had increased in number over the savannah in their absence. A group surrounded them midway, threatening to overwhelm them. Toshiro was crouched low, prepared to strike, when he heard Simba give out a loud roar. He and Sora slammed their forepaws into the ground, magic infusing into the strike to lift the very earth upwards into large spikes that heavily injured the Heartless.

"Let's go!" Sora leaped forward with his Keyblade curled in his tail, spinning quickly to strike at his enemies.

Simba did the same, minus the Keyblade, and Toshiro jumped in to help, Flash Stepping between the creatures and raking his claws across their body, ice exploding onto them.

The three lions stood in the center of the circle again, tense as the weakened Heartless approached.

"We'll show them who is king." Simba growled and lifted his head to roar. "With me?"

"All the way!" Sora copied the lion's movements. Feeling the magic running between them, Toshiro did the same, power running through his body.

Together the trio let off a deafening roar that let off a fierce flow of power, slamming into the remaining Heartless and eradicating them easily. This was unexpected for Toshiro, this raw energy that came from the adult lion with them, able to turn a sound into a weapon. Plus, it felt rather satisfying to roar like that, his anger released and mind clear.

"Come on, let's go!" Nala was excited to get to Pride Rock, confident they could finally defeat Scar and save the Pride Lands.

Once more large, Hyorinmaru flew above them, letting out an icy breath behind them. Now was not the time for secrecy, too many Heartless for that. When a few of the others jumped in surprise and turned to him, the ice wielder, with a questioning and frightened glance, he remained silent and kept running to keep them moving. Explanations could come later; they had a mission to fulfill.

Pride Rock was silent compared to the battles that had just happened outside, Simba leaping above the rocky structure to locate Scar and avoid detection by the hyenas. The mutts were everywhere and needed to be scared off. Hiding amidst the rocks, the group took a moment to assess their situation. Toshiro slinked in the shadows to avoid his white coat standing out and scanned the area quickly, his prodigy mind working fast. The lionesses were closer, pretending to sleep and avoid having to hunt for prey that wasn't there, Scar standing atop the out jutting portion of Pride Rock with a watchful eye. The hyenas milled around, hungry but useless.

Scar was by himself, at least, and could be singled out by Simba quickly. But the hyenas would definitely try to interfere. Perhaps he could get to the lionesses…no, his white coat made him easy to see against the dark rock. Perhaps if he sent Nala, she at least would be able to blend right in. With them on their side, the hyenas could be taken care of. Plan in mind, he quickly snuck back over to the others, glancing briefly at Timon and Pumbaa before focusing on Nala.

"See if you can rally the lionesses." He told her quietly. "Sora and I will head up to help Simba if any of the hyenas remain. You and the others try and occupy the mutts until Simba can defeat Scar."

"Alright." Nala nodded, moving slowly over to her pride sisters so as not to draw attention. Scar didn't give her a second glance, gaze outward towards the savannah. It was a bit late for that.

"We'll take care of the hyenas, Captain." Donald saluted the white cub.

"Anything from us?" Timon questioned, Pumbaa behind him.

"Whatever you can do to stop the hyenas." Toshiro replied to them before motioning to Sora, the two cubs heading up to join Simba, Hyorinmaru still large perched atop Pride Rock awaiting a decision.

Frowning, the meerkat gave a small huff.

"What's he want me to do, dress in drag and do the hula?"

"That could work." Goofy replied. "It'll get their attention."

"Let's just scare them off." Nala replied as she returned, a lioness with her that they learned was Simba's mother, Sarabi.

Above the group, the three male lions waited in a crouched position, Scar still looking outward over 'his' kingdom for the very people currently waiting to strike. Toshiro closed his eyes for a moment to scout out anyone hidden away. Pete was in the cave out of sight, but he wasn't a big deal, though he had a few hyenas with him. If the lionesses kept the ones down below occupied, he and Sora could take care of the ones hiding inside. This would be easy. Then all Simba had to do was take out Scar.

He nudged Sora with a paw and motioned over to the cave entrance.

"There's a few in there, we'll have to make sure they don't help Scar." He whispered.

"Got it." Sora nodded.

When you're ready Simba." The ice lion said to the adult among them, Simba nodding and taking a deep breath to calm himself. Was he really ready for this?

"Sarabi!" Scar suddenly called out and they crouched lower, unsure what this meant. Simba, however, recognized the name immediately.

"Mom…" He breathed out in horror, wondering what the 'king' had in mind for his mother.

An older lioness stepped forward with dignity, glaring fiercely at Scar and standing calmly, not afraid of this lion in the least. He berated her for not going out and hunting, to which she replied there was nothing to hunt and that if they didn't move now they would all starve. When he refused such an idea, she snarled and spat that he would never live up to Mufasa's name.

Scar bristled and struck at her, knocking her down.

"No!" Before Hitsugaya could stop him, Simba had leaped forward.

Hearing the shout, Scar looked away from the lioness and spotted Simba, horror and surprise creeping into his expression. To this Toshiro frowned; wasn't Scar the one who told everyone Simba was dead when he obviously hadn't been? There had to be a part of the story he was missing, something even Simba didn't know concerning the death of his father.

"Simba!" Scar bent down a bit in fear, backing away with his tail tucked close to his body. "You're…alive." He glanced briefly at the hyenas, their attention on the other lionesses as they backed them off, Nala helping up the one called Sarabi.

'_Perhaps when Simba had run away Scar had sent the hyenas after him…which means the hyenas ended up not killing Simba and simply telling Scar they did to avoid punishment. They probably left him in the desert where Timon and Pumbaa found him._' Toshiro mused to himself, trying to piece everything together.

"Come on." Toshiro said to Sora, bounding forward to assist Simba now that the lion was facing down the black-maned king.

"This kingdom doesn't belong to you." Simba snapped at Scar, standing between him and his mother.

"Simba's the rightful king." Nala added with a growl, getting Sarabi to her feet and moving to stand by Simba, Toshiro and Sora soon joining them. Scar looked cautiously at the cubs, knowing they were more then met the eye.

The hyenas cowered away, the lionesses standing firm behind their true king. Scar realized he was in a corner and they saw the gear of his mind spinning faster than ever to come up with an escape. It was obvious he wasn't much of a fighter…he was a strategist. A coward trying to keep power to make up for that cowardice.

Toshiro heard Hyorinmaru give off a growl and gave him a mental signal to wait. They could not interfere in a fight for the king position.

"The choice is yours, Scar." Simba spoke boldly. "Either step down or fight."

The older lion was backed into a corner now. Suddenly, those sinister eyes gleamed with an idea. Toshiro tensed, waiting to hear what would be said, ready to counter it. The quickest way to end this would be to beat the false king at his own game.

"Must this all end in violence?" Scar said with a light sigh, moving to get out of the corner with movements that made him appear snake-like. "I'd hate to be responsible for the death of a family member, Simba."

'_So that's his game…_' Toshiro let out a growl, Sora doing the same as he bristled.

"I've put the past behind me." Simba snapped at the other lion.

"But what about your faithful subjects, have they put it behind them?" Scar hissed. The lionesses shared glances, wondering what he meant.

"Simba…" Nala looked at him with worry. "What's he talking about?"

"It's a set-up, Simba." Toshiro called out calmly.

"Is it?" Scar almost purred. "Go on, Simba; tell them who's responsible for Mufasa's death."

The lionesses gasped, looking at Simba as if seeing him for the first time. Scar was already winning, grinning like a fox and relishing in his victory.

"And how do we know you're not involved?" Toshiro questioned him and Scar frowned, looking at the white cub. "I was told you were meant to show Simba something. Next thing he knew, the wildebeest were charging the canyon."

"You think I did that?" Scar scoffed. "I went to grab Mufasa the minute I saw the animals charging. The only reason they charged was, well…"

"I was practicing my roar." Simba put his head down. Suddenly he picked it back up. "Which you told me to practice. You made me do that! You knew they were there!"

"Oh hardly." But Scar was nervous now, once more backing away as Simba growled at him.

"Like you said, you went to get Mufasa to save Simba." Toshiro was sitting, calm as ever, but his glare was sharp ice. "You brought the king there. He managed to save Simba, so why couldn't he get out as well?"

"You did it!" Simba snarled, the lionesses joining in. "You made him fall and get trampled! Murderer!"

The game was up, Scar giving out a snarl of his own and standing firm now. It was too late for sugar coated words, his lie was revealed. The false king sent a vicious glare at Toshiro, the cub responsible for this mess. The white lion just narrowed his eyes back in an equally biting glare and the air became frigid, frost appearing on the ground near him.

The hyenas attacked. The lionesses roared. The fight was on.

* * *

**Hehe, logic. Toshiro always wins that game. Nice try, Scar XD I added the part with Simba's mother, which wasn't in the game, because in game he just suddenly shows up with this angry look on his face and scares Scar. I prefer the movie version where Scar hits Sarabi, thus causing Simba to show himself and look angry and scare Scar. Makes more sense. Enjoy!**


	68. Pride Lands: Fall of the Dark King

Three hyenas latched onto Simba, allowing Scar time to escape. Something slammed into them, knocking them off, and Simba spotted Sora, Frozen Heavens clamped firmly in his mouth. The hyenas gave off a barking laughter, a few more joining them to corner the two lions. The lionesses were similarly surrounded; Donald and Goofy rushed forward to assist them.

Though Simba was blind to it, Sora paused as an icy tail slammed into the ground, creating a current of ice-water that pushed the hyenas off. White blurred forward before stopping before them.

"Go after Scar, Sora and I will handle the hyenas." Toshiro ordered.

Wasting no time, Simba darted off after the false king. He was glad the cubs understood it was he who needed to finish this, and thankful to Hitsugaya for revealing the truth just by twisting around what Scar had said. The white cub truly was a genius, as Sora had told him. He could make a great king someday, or whatever the leader of his organization was, considering he knew the ice lion wasn't from this world.

"Nice one, Hyorinmaru!" Sora shouted up at the dragon, moving his Keyblade to his tail to do so.

The dragon just gave a pleased rumble at the praise and flapped his wings, creating a strong torrent of wind that startled the mutts, making them disoriented and easy for Donald, Goofy and the lionesses to scare away. The dogs were everywhere, confused and unorganized, easy targets for experienced fighters.

They heard a shout and turned towards the cave, spotting Timon and Pumbaa running inside with three familiar hyenas on their tail, some of the other hyenas lying on the ground in a daze with clear scratches of tusks on their sides. Well, at least the two had tried.

"Come on Toshiro!" Sora said, putting the Keyblade in his mouth once more and darting after them to help, Toshiro not far behind.

'_**I will protect the others.**_' Hyorinmaru reported, moving his head down and letting out an icy breath. All the hyenas could see was ice charging towards them in a wave, panicking and running immediately away. The ice did not touch the lionesses, which confused them, before they felt confident and fought what mutts were left.

Inside the king's den, Timon and Pumbaa were backed against the wall, the three lead hyenas that they had met upon arrival to this world licking their lips in anticipation as they approached the shivering pair. The female stepped forward, opening her jaws to snatch up the meerkat, her male companions approaching the warthog.

A flash of white and the meerkat was gone.

"Huh?" She looked around before spotting the white cub, Timon on his back.

"Whoo, nice save!" Timon grinned down at Toshiro, though he realized the lion felt a lot colder than he should have. Well, the cub used ice, so he just shrugged it off.

"Just hold on tight." Toshiro said back to him, crouching low in a fighting stance as the female growled and stalked towards him. Sora knocked the other two away from Pumbaa and stood firm, Keyblade at the ready and charged with icy power.

"Wonder what you taste like, Mr. Ice." The female hyena snickered, making a jab at his power.

"Probably better than you do." Toshiro retorted.

She charged, grinning madly at the chance of a good meal, long legs letting her go rather fast. But Toshiro was faster, skirting around her as they passed one another and biting at her rear leg. Barking in pain, she attempted to kick him off, only to find her leg would not respond, frozen in a layer of ice. Snarling, she whipped around and took a snap at the cub's neck for a killing blow. He dodged and she got his ear instead. He hissed at the sting but kept his attention on his opponent. She couldn't move well now thanks to her frozen leg. Timon panicked at the blood flowing from the wound.

"Shut up, I'll be fine." Toshiro growled at him to stop his whining. The meerkat obeyed.

"Toshiro!" Sora called out, backed into a corner by the two males. So he wasn't having any luck either; the hyenas were agile. At least they had several scrapes and were panting heavily, meaning Sora had given them quite the fight.

'_And he has two of them._' Toshiro mused. '_Guess I better find a way to scare her off quick._' "Timon, I want you to remain calm no matter what happens. What I'm doing won't hurt you. Remember that and you'll be fine."

"Eh? What?" The meerkat whimpered.

He squeaked as light erupted around the cub in an icy-white blaze, the den dropping to below freezing and ice caking the walls, making the floor slippery. Sora grinned and slammed into one of his opponents, latching onto the ice with his claws while the dog slid with a yelp across the frozen rock. The other male gaped a bit, open for Sora to hit him into a wall. The Keybearer had used the element of surprise well.

Now for Toshiro. The female hyena was backing away as quickly as she could, fear in her eyes. She decided the risk was too high and scrabbled across the ice to the exit, getting out as fast as she possibly could with her companions only seconds behind her. Once they hit solid rock they were gone like a rocket.

The glow left them, the ice breaking or melting away, and Sora trotted happily over to Toshiro.

"Jeez that was COLD!" Timon hopped off the white lion's back, shivering madly, teeth chattering loudly.

"But as promised, you're not hurt." Toshiro pointed out.

Letting out a huff the meerkat just grumbled to himself. Their attention shifted as Nala came inside with Donald and Goofy close behind, meeting up with them.

"Where did Simba and Scar go?" Sora asked, not seeing another exit.

"Over there, that leads to the top." Nala moved over to an area that seemed like wall, before walking on and vanishing around the corner.

Letting Timon and Pumbaa remain down below with Nala to protect them, the rest of them took the path the latter had shown them up to the top. There they found the lions, circling each other meticulously, trying to find a weak point. Their gazes were fixed on the other's, stances tight, growls deep in their throat. It was an intimidating sight.

"Simba!" Donald called out in alarm, attempting to fly forward to help. Sora held a paw out to stop him, the bird obeying and landing, though he looked at Sora curiously.

"This is his fight, Donald." Sora smiled at him confidently, turning his attention back on the fight.

Finally they leapt, Simba striking first across the jaw. Snarling, Scar struck back, managing to stun the younger lion and knock him away onto his back. Shaking aside the dizziness Simba looked back at his opponent. Just as he did so, Scar leaped, jaws opened to latch onto the throat for the kill.

Simba snarled and held his paws up, catching the lion as he landed and using his hind legs to throw him off and over the edge to fall to his death below. Scar cried out in horror before going silent. Not even Toshiro wanted to see what had become of him, staying put as Simba looked over the edge.

"You're okay!" Sora let out a relieved breath and bounded over to Simba. Clearly the Keybearer had wanted to help too. Donald and Goofy joined him with grins on their faces to congratulate him.

A snarl from Toshiro signaled all was not over, their attention turning towards him and in turn what the cub was looking at.

"Aw, that was just a sneak preview!" Pete sneered. "Cause this aint over! Ho-ho, not by a long shot!"

Still looking smug, Pete pointed a forepaw to where Scar had just been sent tumbling over the edge. They all turned to look, the sky still dull and gray, the sounds of hyenas running and Hyorinmaru's roars, the latter only heard by Toshiro and Sora, faint in the background. What was the obese lion trying to point out? He wasn't moving, so Toshiro knew it wasn't a distraction to get at him from behind. That wouldn't have worked anyway.

Then he sensed it. A strong darkness rising up, a paw latching onto the edge and slowly pulling up the rest of him, a second paw following suit to make it go faster.

"Anger and jealousy turned the king of Pride Rock into a Heartless!" Pete snickered. "Oh your kingdom's gonna rise again, but this time as the Pride Lands of Darkness!"

Scar rose back above, grinning at them with uncontained malice, darkness wafting off his body in tiny wisps. The sky turned black and the air oppressing.

"That's what you think." Simba growled out, facing Scar with no fear, Toshiro and Sora beside him with Donald and Goofy nearby, all of them ready to fight the Heartless Scar.

Frowning, Pete darted back down below to avoid any risk of getting caught in the middle of it all. Scar took a fighting stance, the darkness of his Spiritual Pressure growing in strength. As Simba stood firm, his own Spiritual Pressure rose to combat it, fighting unseen for dominance just like a battle between Soul Reapers. Toshiro and Sora added their own power to the mix, but the darkness was strong.

On instinct, Toshiro called out for his zanpaktou.

"Reign over the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru!" He shouted out, the icy-white light from before surrounding him again in a freezing blaze.

A roar echoed around them, and as Simba and the others flinched, Toshiro realized that by calling out the release command he had made Hyorinmaru visible to everyone. With a single flap of his wings the great ice dragon rose above the rocky structure, wings wide and crimson eyes locked onto Scar, the lion looking up at him with absolute shock.

"Let's see how you fare against a dragon." Toshiro said whilst stepping towards the darkness infested lion. Scar turned to him with a snarl, using his new power to light his fur aflame.

In response, Hyorinmaru shifted and swung his tail forward at the fire cat, lifting his lips into a snarl as he did so. Scar leapt over the icy appendage only for Sora to strike him as he landed, Simba jumping atop him next and latching his jaws into his shoulder. Roaring in pain, Scar shook off the lion, letting the flame burn brighter to avoid it happening again, before charging at Toshiro. The white cub had summoned the dragon, by killing him the beast would leave.

Toshiro slammed a paw to the ground, a wave of ice-water shooting forward at his command. Hitting it head on, the fire protected Scar from any significant damage, but was put out in the process. Electricity raced through his fur as he bolted forward to meet the cub. Using Flash Step, Toshiro clashed head on with the bigger lion, his teeth sinking into a foreleg but earning a nasty claw mark down the side. At least he had accomplished his goal; freezing the lion's leg and shattering it.

Scar let off a terrible roar at the loss of his leg, the frostbite left behind at least preventing him from blood loss. Now that he was three legged he could not move as quickly, utilizing his Thunder powers to move, remaining on the defensive. Meanwhile, Toshiro stepped off to the side, the claw wounds across his back near his left hind leg, making it painful to step on. Donald rushed over quickly and used a Cure spell.

Goofy caught Scar in the back with his shield, causing Scar to stumble forward with a snarl. Right after that, Donald hit him with a Fire spell. To counter, Scar lit up in a blaze of darkness, hovering in the air with spheres of dark energy around him.

"This looks bad." Simba growled, crouching low.

"Follow my lead." Toshiro said before darting off towards Hyorinmaru. The dragon was keeping off the pressure of darkness but could not do much else with everyone running around, Scar too small to hit without hitting someone else. Toshiro planned to remove that obstacle.

The darkness around Scar created a temporary leg for him, allowing him to bound forward with surprising speeds towards the group, everyone standing in front of Hyorinmaru.

"Now!" Toshiro shouted.

The drake's head shot downward and his jaws latched around the lion charging them. Ice exploded outwards from where the dragon clamped his jaws shut. Simply lifting his head upwards, the ice stayed in place, Scar trapped inside. Sora tossed up his Keyblade and caught it in his tail before throwing it forward like a boomerang. It hit the prison of ice and shattered it, taking Scar with it, blue spirit particles floating into the air slowly as he fell to the power of a zanpaktou infused Keyblade.

With its creator gone, the darkness left the sky, allowing the sun to shine through once more. Toshiro leashed his power again, Hyorinmaru vanishing from the sight of all but him and the Keybearer, Simba letting his jaw drop in surprise, searching for where the drake had gone.

"Consider him my guardian spirit." Toshiro told the lion as he walked back over to the path that would take them back down. "He's still there."

"That's where Toshiro gets his ice powers from." Sora grinned at the lion.

"I-I see…" Simba frowned.

"Come on, Simba." Donald quacked. "The others are waiting for you."

"Yeah, you're king now." Goofy added on with a smile.

"Right!"

With their icy companion already heading down, the group followed and returned to the lionesses outside, the hyenas gone and ice cleared away. Nala and Sarabi greeted Simba happily, glad to know he was alright. He told them nothing of the dragon though they asked if perhaps he had seen a 'snake made of ice with wings' approach them above.

"Ask Toshiro about that." He told them.

One look at the white lion and the girls knew they weren't getting anything.

All quieted down as Rafiki approached Simba, a friendly smile on his face. He patted the lion on the shoulder the way an uncle would his nephew, motioning with his staff to the out jutting rock where Scar had once watched over the pride. It looked like it was time for Simba to show he was king, the lionesses waiting eagerly. Nodding to the baboon, Simba walked up the rock, standing at its edge.

Toshiro felt his fur stand on end and looked around; that was the feeling of a key item, and this one had a strong pull. They'd found the one needed to open the barrier!

Atop the rock, Simba let out a mighty roar, those around him jumping to their feet as excitement and energy coursed through them. The lionesses also roared, their voices mixing with their king's in an almost melodic way. Laughing, Sora let off his own small roar, his voice still too young for the deep sound the older lions made.

"You too!" Sora said, turning to Toshiro with excitement.

Toshiro rolled his eyes at him but stood. When Simba roared again, the two cubs joined in, Toshiro's nearly as loud as the others with power behind it, a cold wind stirring up around them. Hyorinmaru let off a mighty roar that sounded like the falling of an avalanche, the winds racing past as if in answer, carrying their voices across the land. The sight was almost magical.

The clouds shifted, spiraling inward and forming a lion-like shape. The energy Toshiro had sensed before grew stronger, enough that Sora could sense it and summon his Keyblade, mouth clamped tightly on the handle. Mufasa's form took shape and the lion looked down with a smile on his son, the sun shining down from behind him onto the newly crowned king. They didn't have long before this world's spirit realm pulled Mufasa back and took away their chance at opening the barrier. Of course a spirit would be their key.

The crown-shaped light lit up underneath Sora and Toshiro quickly jumped in, Hyorinmaru shrinking and curling around the shaft of the weapon as Sora moved it to his tail, Toshiro own tail latching on as well. Frozen Heavens flared brightly with power.

"_Limiter Release._"

The glow doubled in intensity, the keyhole opening up before them as Mufasa smiled down upon them.

"**Return home safely, Ice Spirit.**" The regal lion said, maintaining the link as long as he could.

The Keyblade shot out a beam of icy light and unlocked the path. Their mission accomplished, Hyorinmaru curled around his master's neck and Toshiro stepped aside, Mufasa returning to the spirit realm with a satisfied expression.

"Hey, what's with the light show?" Timon complained, glancing around to see if there was anything new. Pumbaa looked rather startled as well.

"We have to say goodbye for a little while." Sora replied, peeking around Toshiro to see the two animals better.

"I'll go tell Simba." Pumbaa turned to do just that.

"Aw he's probably busy." Goofy waved a paw, stopping the pig. "Just tell him we'll be back soon."

"Oh, that's right, he's KING now!" Timon waved his arms in an irritated manner before crossing them. "He's gonna be so busy he'll probably forget about his two best buddies."

"You have so much faith in him." Toshiro deadpanned.

"Well, you've always got Hakuna Matata, right?" Sora added on.

"Guess so…" Pumbaa sighed.

"What do ya mean, 'guess so'?!" Timon snapped. "What if he forgets to tell the carnivores who we are? One look at you and you're pig roast!"

"That's MISTER pig roast." Donald replied, trying to lighten the mood.

"Same thing!" Pumbaa replied in a panicked tone. "And I'm not sticking around to be anybody's dinner!"

True to his word, the warthog bolted, leaving behind his meerkat friend.

"Pumbaa!" Timon gaped, startled at being left behind.

"Hmph, herbivores." Hyorinmaru snorted, earning a smirk from his master.

The four watched as Timon darted off after his friend with no hope of catching up to him. The lionesses knew them by now, surely, and Simba wasn't going to leave them behind any time soon.

"You never forget your true buddies." Sora grinned at the retreating pair, a slight sadness in his expression. Toshiro frowned at this.

"We'll find Riku." He said, and the Keybearer turned to him in surprise. "You'll see. We'll find him."

For a moment Sora just stared at him, before his furry face lit up in a grin.

"You bet we will!" He jumped to his feet. "But first, to get you home!"

"We need to find Demyx first." Toshiro said, the Water Nobody coming to mind. "Let's get back to the ship and we'll contact him, figure out a meeting place."

"Oh!" Donald quacked. "We haven't been back to Atlantica yet! I've got a spell that can help us get that statue!"

"Would that be okay, Captain?" Goofy turned to the white lion. He'd noticed the grimace that came over Toshiro's face at mentioning the musical world.

"I suppose." He grumbled.

"Alright!"

The four of them quickly returned to the Gummi Ship. Hyorinmaru was a sword once more, strapped on Toshiro's back as he returned to being the white-haired, teal eyed Soul Reaper Captain. Boy did it feel good to not have fur for once.

'_**Now you get to be a fish again.**_' Hyorinmaru quickly replied to that thought.

Toshiro almost groaned out loud.

* * *

**To Atlantica for the second visit out of five and then to the Soul Society! So exciting! XD Enjoy!**


	69. Atlantica: Interlude

"Okay." Sora stretched his arms out, having to switch back to moving as a human and not a lion. "Let's start heading to Atlantica."

While Sora drove, Toshiro reached into his haori and pulled out his Soul Pager. He was glad Santa had given him that item to jump the step of having to put in a passcode, because otherwise he wouldn't have had enough power to open the barrier. Speaking of…

"Sora, can you pull up the Soul Society?" He walked to the front and stood by the boy's chair. "I want to make sure we opened the barrier."

"On it."

With a few quick movements they had a close-up of the Soul Society on screen. The barrier that had previously held firm around the Japanese world was gone, the world free to access. Since it had just opened up the Heartless wouldn't have time to get in, and the strong Spirit Energy of the world would have the same effect as the Cornerstone of Light, preventing entry by the darkness. How would Demyx fare, then, getting inside? Well, he was once a Soul Reaper…perhaps he'd be okay.

"Once we get Demyx we'll head right there." Sora promised, grinning up at the ice Captain.

Toshiro allowed a smile of his own. Finally, after a week or two of travelling worlds, seeing things he'd never thought possible, having his being changed into different forms, he could return home. And he'd be reclaiming a lost soul. For once things were starting to look up.

Now that he had confirmation that they could indeed return, Toshiro turned to the other matter at hand; contacting Demyx. After that he would report to the Head Captain so no one would freak out when they arrived by Gummi Ship; the Spirit Energy would most definitely prevent teleportation directly into the world, so they'd have to fly in. Donald hooked up the phone to the ship as it rang, trying to get to Demyx.

"_Yo!_" Demyx's voice rang out clearly through the speakers. Obviously he was safe if he was being that loud.

"Where are you, Demyx?" Toshiro got right to the point.

"_Eh, world hopping. I'm at some pirate place at the moment…there's a weird feeling in the air…_"

"Port Royal?" Sora tilted his head. "What's wrong there?"

"That's not important right now." Toshiro pointed out. "Demyx, do you know a world called Atlantica?"

"_You bet I do! That's my favorite world!_"

Toshiro sighed while Sora and his animal friends laughed; of course Demyx would love that world. He could pretty much own the place if he had the skillset to rule it, he embodied that world.

"We're on our way there now; I want you to meet us there. I'll explain later."

"_Understood!_" There was a click as Demyx hung up, the sound of darkness lifting up heard just before the noise sounded. He'd be there before them.

"Honestly, he's as full of energy as ever." Toshiro grumbled.

"So how well do you know him?" Sora questioned. He couldn't remember if he'd ever spotted Demyx in the memories Hyorinmaru had showed him.

"Not as well as I should, but more than I'd like too." The Captain replied, only causing further confusion. "I was a Third Seat before he vanished, and I only ever saw him as a coward, to be honest. He followed me around to try and copy my powers but I had ice and he had water. It didn't work out. He was trying to climb the ranks as fast as I did but he just wasn't cut out for all that work…but I think that's because he didn't really want it."

"He is kind of a scaredy cat." Donald huffed.

"Yes but he's got promise. If he could actually make up his own mind on things he could be a strong Soul Reaper."

"Do you think there's a way to get him his heart back?" Goofy put a finger to his chin in thought.

"I'm not sure." Toshiro mused. "Considering we're dead things might work differently for us. There might be a way to restore him to his former self, and there might not. It all depends. I'm sure Kurotsuchi can find something."

"That weird face-painted guy who called me out?" Sora scowled, remembering the rude man.

"That's him." Toshiro chuckled. "I don't like him either. In fact, nobody does, but his job is too important to kick him out. Unfortunately."

He picked up his phone, wondering whether to speak to the Head Captain now or on their way there. The sooner the better, most likely. He dialed in and turned to the screen; perhaps they would do a visual again.

As it took a while for the pick-up, he knew there would be visual. Sure enough, their screen flickered and the Head Captain appeared on it.

"_It has been a few days, Captain Hitsugaya._" The old man said, slightly irritated.

"My apologies, Head Captain, but it took longer to find the needed item than I'd hoped." Toshiro replied, bowing his head respectfully.

"_So the barrier is open?_" Now he sounded intrigued.

"Yes, we'll be heading there as soon as we can. If possible could you warn the other Soul Reapers not to panic when we arrive? We'll be arriving by ship."

"Can't we just use the teleportation?" Sora glanced up at him.

"The immense amount of Spirit Energy will probably block it, best to be safe than sorry.

"_Agreed._" Yamamoto nodded. "_I don't wish to lose a Captain after the effort he used to return. How long until you get here, Hitsugaya?_"

"That's another thing." Toshiro took a deep breath. "There was another Soul Reaper before me who was taken by the darkness. I found him, but…"

"_But?"_ The Head Captain lifted a brow impatiently.

"He's been turned into a Nobody." Toshiro let out. "Myed Mizushima, former Thirteenth Seat of Squad Ten when I was a Third Seat."

"_Hm, that name was on the list of strange disappearances…_"

"Yes, but now we've found him. He's a member of Organization XIII but has recently escaped from them upon finding me. He had only joined them because he had given up on returning home. Once he saw a chance he leaped for it, and that's one more ally against the Nobodies."

"_True, but how can you know that is his true goal?_" Yamamoto questioned suspiciously. Frowning, Toshiro thought quickly. He knew this question would come up.

"Mizushima was probably the worst actor ever, and still is. Plus, the organization doesn't care for him much, meaning they probably spoke freely around him. Surely he could provide valuable information."

The old man chewed on that thought for a moment. It was true, this former Soul Reaper had promise in helping them fight against the dark organization that seemed to be threatening the worlds, and soon their own if they weren't careful. Plus, if a Soul Reaper was needed to open the Soul Society and Myed ever reached a high enough power, this organization could easily threaten them even if he didn't let Toshiro bring him here and just replaced the barrier once they had their Captain back. There was more risk leaving Myed with the enemy than bringing him to the Soul Society.

"And I think Kurotsuchi might be able to find a way to reverse his transformation, return him to being a Soul Reaper." Toshiro added. "If so, he might get his zanpaktou back."

"_Get it back, you say?_" Yamamoto gave a confused glance to the smaller Captain. He noticed Sora do the same, as did the animals.

"The last time I was with Demyx, Myed's new name, Hyorinmaru reported that his zanpaktou spirit was no longer within his weapon even though he could still use its attacks. Perhaps the leader of Organization XIII removed it or part of turning into a Nobody involved separating the two. Either way, if we could find out what happened to his zanpaktou, I think we could return him to being a Soul Reaper."

"_We'll speak more of this when you return with Demyx._" The Head Captain said gruffly. "I _will alert the Seireitei to make sure the alarms do not go off upon your arrival. Do not try to enter the walls with the ship, however._"

"Of course not." Toshiro responded.

"Why not?" Sora looked at the old man.

"_The walls around our city are made of a stone called Seki-Seki, a stone that repels Spirit Energy. Due to this, there is a barrier that completely engulfs the Seireitei both above and below. If you try to fly inside with your ship, you will be vaporized._"

Sora gulped audibly.

"G-got it. Don't fly inside. I can do that."

"_Stay alert, Captain Hitsugaya._" Yamamoto brought the Ice Captain's attention to him. "_You never know what the enemy may be planning._"

"Understood." Toshiro nodded.

The screen cut out as the call disconnected. Toshiro relaxed a bit and retrieved his phone.

"He makes me nervous sometimes." He muttered as he pocketed the device.

"I bet, he's got that kind of look to him." Sora snickered.

"Plus he's my opposite element." Toshiro added. "When a meeting gets out of hand and he gets frustrated, I feel it the most and it's horrible." He paused for a moment. "It's kind of like being in Agrabah, but the feeling behind it is angry."

"Jeez, that bad?" Sora grimaced.

"He actually did make me fall unconscious once, when I first became Captain." Toshiro returned to his seat. "It was then we realized how affected I was by the temperature and he was careful not to let it get that high again. I knew my body temperature was lower than normal but I didn't expect that to become a problem where heat was involved…I get overheated too quickly."

"Well, at least he's careful now." Sora shrugged.

"Most of the time."

"Gawrsh, I'm kinda scared to meet him." Goofy pouted.

"You'll be fine, he knows you three will be brand new to our world and won't know much. He probably doesn't know how much I've told you already…which I'll probably get in trouble for."

"We'll take some of the blame, too." Sora promised. "We kinda kept pestering you until you told us, hehe."

"Yes, you did." Now they could recognize the tone of sarcasm, slight as it was, and laughed. "And don't worry about Spiritual Pressure. You've been around me long enough that you're adjusting to it. When I released the Limiter you didn't even flinch, Sora, which is a vast improvement of when we first met and all I did was release Hyorinmaru with the Limiter still on."

"Cool." Sora beamed. "Hey, there's Atlantica!"

The watery world was indeed within their sights. Hopefully Demyx was already there waiting for them, though hopefully he was also avoiding causing any trouble. If anything he was probably singing and dancing with them.

'_We better not be staying for long._' Toshiro grumbled mentally. '_I can't stand this world._'

'_**Have a little fun, Master.**_' Hyorinmaru chuckled. '_**Hakuna Matata.**_'

'_Stop that, now._'

The dragon gave a snort of laughter but went quiet, leaving the boy to grumble to himself and brood despite the happy world they were going to.

After making sure the ship was in a steady orbit around the world Sora had them teleport downward. The familiar feeling of having his body change shape washed over the icy Captain as they entered the atmosphere, cold water flowing around him as the light died down and revealed the same watery valley they had first arrived in on their last visit. Unlike before, there was someone there waiting for them.

"Yo!" Demyx waved to them, his organization clothing gone and his lower half a shimmering sea-green color.

"Hey Demyx!" Sora greeted the Nobody as he swam over. "Hope you weren't waiting too long."

"Nah, it's cool." Demyx waved him off.

"Sora, we've gotta get that statue." Goofy reminded the Keybearer.

"Oh! That's right. We better find Flounder." The Keybearer turned to his Soul Reaper friend. "We'll be right back."

"I'll fill Demyx in." Toshiro nodded and the Keybearer took off through the water, Donald and Goofy close behind.

"Why is the dog a turtle?" Demyx scratched his head.

"No idea." Hitsugaya sighed. "But that's not important. Listen up…"

As Toshiro explained to their newest companion what all was going on with Soul Society and having him return, Sora and his friends met up with Flounder and returned to where the statue still lay stuck under the boulder. Donald utilized his new spell, one that shifted gravity, and easily moved the boulder aside. This let them easily dig up the statue of a prince and stand it upright.

"Now what?" Sora questioned.

"There's this place that Ariel keeps all her stuff, we'll put it there." Flounder beamed. "Follow me!"

The statue was much easier to carry than lifting the boulder, but it still took all of them putting in a little effort to keep it moving. They reached an area blocked off by a boulder and set down the statue to move it aside. This one was far smaller, though, and was easily pushed aside to allow them entry. That done, they placed the prize inside at the center and rushed off to find Ariel.

The mermaid princess wasn't far, looking up at the surface longingly. So that hadn't changed either.

"Hey Ariel!" Sora called out, pushing a little harder through the water before pulling to a stop in front of her.

"We'd like you to come with us." Goofy added with a grin, excited to see her reaction. She tilted her head in question.

"We've got something to show you." Sora gently grabbed her wrist and as a group they led her to her secret cave.

Curious, she swam ahead, glancing at her treasures to see if anything had been moved before spotting something definitely out of place, right in the center. She gasped in delight and swam towards it.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Sora beamed as she admired it.

"It looks like some kinda prince, doesn't it?" Donald added knowingly.

"A prince!?" Ariel's excitement increased, if that was possible.

"What's going on?"

They turned to see Toshiro and Demyx joining them. Had they taken that long?

"We got the statue out." Sora motioned towards the statue of the prince that Arial was examining intently, her grin never fading.

"Ooh, nice." Demyx smirked. "Kinda looks like me."

"Keep dreaming." Toshiro rolled his eyes.

"Aw, you're no fun."

"Noted."

"Oh this is amazing, Sora!" Ariel rushed over and gave the Keybearer a big hug. "Thank you so much!"

"What is this place?" Toshiro questioned, moving further inside and looking around at all the items Ariel had collected, silverware and odd items that humans used, things deemed useless but apparently were priceless to the princess, who probably had no idea what they were for.

She giggled happily and swam over to a candle-holder that was currently being used to hold silverware. The white-haired merman froze…was that music he heard? Oh great, one of those times.

So much for a good day.

* * *

**Kind of an intermission, then Atlantica ^^ Musical time! Enjoy!**


	70. Atlantica: Part of Your World, Reapers

He had seen a show in the human world once where people randomly broke into song. He never expected that to actually happen to him, ever. But apparently, in Atlantica, he should expect it, as Ariel sang her reply instead of just giving it to him straight.

"_Look at this stuff, isn't it neat? Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?_" Ariel placed a fork into the empty spot on the candle-holder before swimming upwards. "_Wouldn't you think I'm the girl…the girl who has everything?_"

Sora found a globe and spun it, wondering if it still worked underwater. Sure enough it did.

"_Look at this trove, treasures untold. How many wonders can one cavern hold?_" Ariel spotted Goofy examining a small box. "_Looking around her you'd think 'Sure…she's got everything'!_" She tapped the box and it opened, revealing actual gold and jewels.

"I'm liking this." Demyx grinned, summoning his zanpaktou to his side and playing a sweet melody to accompany Ariel's voice.

"_I've got gadgets and gizmos aplenty._" Ariel swam over to the Nobody with a smile for the assistance. Meanwhile, Donald tapped on a box.

"Wouldn't do that." Toshiro warned before swimming away again.

"_I've got whozits and whatzits galore!_" Ariel giggled as the jack-in-the-box sprang open, startling the squid-duck to move away.

She grabbed a different box and approached Toshiro.

"You want thingamabobs?" She opened it, revealing what seemed to be corkscrews. Where did she find those? "I got twenty."

She set the box down and Toshiro gave her a confused glance. How long was she going to do this? Demyx wasn't helping.

"_But who cares? No big deal…"_ She swam upwards towards the hole in the top that let in light. "_I want more!_"

The red-head came back down, moving over to a small statuette of a couple dancing.

"_I wanna be where the people are…I wanna see…wanna see them dancing, walking around on those…_" She paused, at a loss for words, and turned to Goofy. "What do you call them?" He lifted up his fins. "Oh, 'feet'." She giggled.

"_Up where they walk!_" She swam up again, flipping backwards in her excitement. "_Up where they run! Up where they stay all day in the sun! Wandering free…wish I could be..._" She was moving back down, back to her new statue, which she looked at admiringly. "_Part of that world…_"

Demyx finished off the melody and let his zanpaktou vanish to wherever it was these people's weapons vanished to. Glad the song was over, Toshiro swam back over to join them, having spotted something interesting before and using it as a distraction; Ariel had collected a sword, and upon closer inspection he'd realized it was a rather unique sword. But considering it wasn't broken, it couldn't have been a zanpaktou…maybe. There was no telling anymore.

"Ariel." Sora caught the mermaid's attention. "We're here to help you, you know."

"Oh no, you all stay out of it!" Sebastian snapped as he swam in front of them, pointing out Toshiro and Demyx for good measure.

"Look who's taking." Sora crossed his arms.

"Yeah, you were going to tell her dad about it." Donald agreed.

"I could honestly care less." Toshiro cut in, not liking how he'd been included with the troublemakers.

"Why so serious, Captain?" Demyx teased. An icy glare shut him up quick.

"Come on, we need to head out." Toshiro turned to Sora.

"Wait!" Sebastian called out, pausing their leave. "If you'll wait just a moment, I'll be right back. Dere's something I need to tell you."

As fast as his tiny crab self could go, Sebastian darted off.

"Might as well see what's up." Sora suggested.

Seeing as he didn't really have any other option, Toshiro groaned and swam off to be by himself.

"H-hey!" Sora called after him.

"Leave him." Demyx held the Keybearer back. "I've seen that face before, bad idea to mess with him right now."

"But-"

"Trust me, Sora." Demyx's expression was serious. "Let him brood for a minute. He's a loner by nature; you gotta give him his space." Then he smiled. "On another note; think it's too late for me to join this musical?"

"Oh that would be fun!" Ariel grinned. "You're really good with that instrument of yours. Maybe Sebastian can think of something…"

"We'll wait until he gets back." Goofy nodded.

"So what do we do now?" Donald tilted his head.

"Uh…" Sora scratched his head. "Brood?"

They laughed, though a few were glad Toshiro wasn't around to hear that.

Said Reaper wasn't really brooding, but just thinking, his gaze upon the water's surface far above him, a small spot of white signaling where the sun was. He would be going home soon, after a week or two of being gone, kidnapped by darkness. He wondered how Momo was…if she was worried about him. Leave it to her to worry like that when he was fine. Or Rangiku. He dreaded to think how much paperwork he had now. But even she couldn't put it off for more than a week, right? If he wasn't there to do it she HAD to.

But this was Rangiku. He grimaced. He wouldn't put it past her to have someone else do the paperwork for her. But then again…she was a loyal Lieutenant. Too many variables; Rangiku was too unpredictable. She could have done it and she could not have, there was no way to know for sure until he got back.

And what was he to do with Demyx? Say they couldn't return him to normal? Would the Council 46 remove him on the basis of him being a threat as a Nobody? They'd probably try it anyway. Demyx didn't deserve that…he'd been kidnapped, just as he had. On that note, would they try to eliminate him? Toshiro wouldn't put it past them. He had told Sora a lot, not to mention shared his powers with him, though it wasn't as drastic as Rukia and Ichigo's exchange of power. In fact, he could already think of how to counter any argument Council 46 made to have Sora killed if it came to such a thing. Hopefully it wouldn't; Sora was too important to the balance of worlds.

He tensed, sensing a dark Spiritual Pressure approaching him.

"That octopus lady again." He muttered under his breath, reaching back for his blade. "When will she leave me be?"

He lifted up higher into the open water, which would force her out of any shadowed areas. However, that wasn't needed, as she had no shame in floating right out into the open, that hungry look on her face making him nervous and making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. This creature officially made his skin crawl in ways he did not like.

"Now what?" He growled at her, making it clear he was unhappy. Demyx was right to stop Sora earlier; he was not in the best of moods.

"Now, now, dearie, no need to be so harsh." The woman pouted at his tone. He scoffed, unaffected. "Well, I always did like a man with attitude.

"Leave me alone." Toshiro snapped, moving to swim past.

"Hold on there, ice boy." Ursula latched onto his arm as he passed to prevent him from leaving.

The sword at his back was suddenly held at her neck, causing her to gasp in surprise.

"Unhand me this instant." Toshiro scowled at her.

"Hm, what a nice item here." She removed her arm from his but instead gripped onto his wrist, examining Hyorinmaru with interest. "It makes me think of the brat's Keyblade, only more…refined."

"It's about to go through your head." The water was beginning to cool down and solidify, streams of ice snaking through the water around them as she continued to anger him.

"Well, don't let me keep you." She let him go as if suddenly disinterested, surprising him a bit. "I suppose I'll tell you another time."

He knew he'd regret this.

"Tell me what?"

She turned back to him with a smirk. Bait set, now to reel in. Toshiro was being cautious now, hand tight on the hilt of his sword.

"Why, about how to remove that terrible darkness in your heart, of course." She spoke silkily. "Surely you don't like it being there."

"This again?" He turned away. "If you think I'm foolish enough to fall for that then you have no common sense."

"Didn't your mother ever teach you manners?" The woman growled. "I'm offering you a deal, ice boy, the least you can do is listen to it."

"I'm not interested; I'll deal with the darkness in my own way, one that does not involve you." He headed out.

"Such as having Sora kill you when it gets to be too much?"

At that he paused, looking back at her curiously. Getting closer to the catch.

"Your time is closing in, boy, you'll become a Heartless soon enough." She sneered. "The only thing left for you then is to die by the Keyblade."

"So be it." Toshiro snapped and she gaped. "I resigned myself to such a fate when I joined the academy back home. Every mission I go on I keep in mind that it could be my last. This is no different." He turned away. "Save your breath; I'll take whatever comes my way. Cheating death only results in a fate worse than Hell…and trust me, I know what Hell is. I've seen it."

And so her line snapped and he was free to go. He left it at that and quickly swam away, returning Hyorinmaru to the sheath at his back. The others were not at Ariel's secret area anymore when he returned, forcing him to track down Sora by his Spiritual Pressure. With his surroundings being water, it was relatively easy to locate the boy and head that way.

"There you are!" Sora greeted him as he joined them back at the courtyard they'd arrived in. "We were about to go looking for you. Sebastian's got a new idea for the musical…but we've gotta learn a bit more." He laughed nervously. "So we'll have to come back later."

Toshiro thought back to the strange creature that had harassed him each visit. He didn't particularly look forward to seeing her again.

"For now we head to the Soul Society." Toshiro said, leaving out his opinions on the thought of coming back.

"Man, I'll miss this place." Demyx sighed, looking out at the watery world again.

"I won't." the ice Captain grumbled and the others laughed. "Come on, let's go. I'd like to have legs again."

Donald obliged and brought them back to the ship, taking Demyx with them this time around. Adjusting to the added number of passengers, a seat rose up in the back to accommodate the Nobody.

"Wow, nice ride." Demyx grinned, looking around. "Way cooler than the dark realms. That place creeps me out." He shuddered.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark?" Toshiro raised a white brow at him as if to mock him.

"No!" Demyx retorted quickly. "It's just…it's weird…and things move…I don't like it."

Sora laughed.

"Alright, to the Soul Society!" Donald quacked.

"You finally get to go home, Captain." Goofy grinned back at their white-haired friend.

"Hey, is Byakuya Kuchiki still there?" Demyx also looked at the ice Captain.

"Let's not torture him, Demyx." Toshiro immediately replied. "I think he actually smiled once on the day you vanished.

"Seriously! That pompous-"

"Anyway." Toshiro cut him off. "There will be a few new faces." Something suddenly came to mind. "And if you and Matsumoto even THINK of running off to the nearest bar I will ship you off to Kurotsuchi."

Gulping audibly, the Water Nobody just nodded.

"So…what should I be expecting?" Sora said to try and keep the conversation going. The Soul Society was out past Hollow Bastion, which meant that world would be easy to get to again after they finished their business in the new world. They still needed to check out Twilight Town.

"To be honest…" Toshiro trailed off in thought.

"Anything." Demyx finished.

"Oh that's helpful."

The two behind them just shrugged.

As the ride went on, Demyx struck up a happy conversation with the trio about pretty much anything; the different worlds they'd seen and how they'd fared there. Sora told him about Agrabah and Toshiro's reaction to it and he just nodded in understanding. That world was harsh for him, too, as a being of water. The ice Captain himself remained quiet throughout the trip.

They reached the final stretch and Sora went quiet, expecting Heartless ships to be awaiting them. Thankfully, as Soul Society had only recently been open, there wasn't a Heartless in sight. The path was perfectly clear of them, and as they passed through it gained the same light-shaded aura around t as the other paths, preventing any future intrusions of darkness.

"Now for the interesting part." Sora mused as Soul Society came into view. "We can't teleport down, so I've gotta fly in…"

"And I can't get there with the dark realms." Demyx added. "I tried it with Captain Hitsugaya while you guys were getting that statue. The darkness hasn't made a foothold there yet, so it's safe from Organization XIII for now."

"That's good, at least." Goofy said and Demyx nodded.

"Hold on tight." Sora called out, diving down into the atmosphere.

Toshiro grimaced; he'd forgotten how nauseating this part was, the ship shaking violently as it became hindered by air currents. The Seireitei came into view, the familiar sight a great relief to Toshiro, enough that he actual smiled and let out a content sigh. Now that they were past the worst part, Sora could focus on finding a place to land. Demyx seemed fine, so he guessed Nobodies would, in fact, be able to enter. Either that or Demyx's former Soul Reaper powers were protecting him.

"There, near the West gate." Toshiro pointed out said gate, a field nearby perfect for the Gummi Ship. "The gatekeeper knows me; he'll let us into the Seireitei."

"Aren't all the gatekeepers supposed to let in Captains?" Demyx questioned.

"Yes, but as I said, this one knows me." Hitsugaya replied. "He won't ask too many questions about you guys."

"Oh…"

"West it is." Sora steered the ship in that direction, taking care not to get too close to the Seireitei. The last thing they needed was to be vaporized.

The ship settled down in the field with care, a good clear radius around it and several yards from the gate, a small village sitting before it. It looked like a medieval Japan. Not the weirdest thing Sora had seen, but considering the kind of technology Toshiro possessed he expected more. Well, they were outside the Seireitei, so maybe no one out here had it. But that wasn't important.

They were in the Soul Society.

* * *

**Haha, this song in KH...Weird...anyway, on to the Soul Society!**

**Oh, by the way, a few Soul Reapers will be going with them to Hollow Bastion for the big fight with the Heartless. I thought about just taking Hitsugaya's advance team, but if you have a better group in mind let me know and i'll consider it. Consider. Enjoy!**


End file.
